Arranged What?
by Caity Marie
Summary: Astoria Greengrass was shocked with the news of her life, her father had arranged her marriage. Now she has no other choice but to start planning a wedding, even if it's with someone she can't stand.
1. Chapter 1

Astoria sat there looking at her father, at a loss for words. She didn't understand the words that had just come out of his mouth. Arranged marriage? Why would anyone arrange marriages anymore? Then the words he said after that flooded into her mind. Preserving the bloodline. Of course this was all about blood, what else would it be about? It certainly wasn't about love like marriage was supposed to be. She realized around that time that her father was expecting a response, so she asked the most obvious question she could think of.

"Who?" Astoria asked her father quietly, trying not to over react yet. Maybe it would be someone she could get along with, to eventually come to love. That was still a possibility in her mind. After all, she heard about people being forced into a marriage only to come to love each other. There were a few people she would rather die than marry, but hopefully her father was smarter than that and didn't arrange a marriage with those families. Surely her father had more common sense than to arrange a marriage for her with any of the families that had fallen since the end of the war. Her ranting inside her head came to an end when she heard her father reply.

"Draco Malfoy." He told her calmly. It almost seemed like he was waiting for the reality to hit her, and too soon it did.

Astoria didn't comment, she didn't know what to say. Her mind was running away with the news though, not even taking a moment to breathe. How could her father arrange a marriage with the Malfoys after all they did? After the whole fiasco with the war? Why couldn't she marry into a nice family like her sister Daphne? Daphne got to marry into the Borgin family. The man was a few years older than her, like Draco was to Astoria, but they at least got along. Astoria didn't get along with Draco in the slightest. While they were in school he was too concerned with the war and his father, and after the war Astoria hadn't spoken one word to him.

While she knew there was a chance her marriage would get arranged she hadn't expected it so soon. After seeing her sister get married off a few years earlier Astoria had done everything she could to find an appropriate pureblood she liked that she could marry. Apparently that wasn't good enough for her father. But her father of course had an explanation. The contract was made just after she was born, meaning she had had no choice her whole life but to marry Draco Malfoy. Why she hadn't been told that sooner Astoria could only wonder.

Quickly she excused herself from her father's study, making her way up the stairs to her room. It was only once she made sure the door got completely shut behind her did Astoria finally start to cry, the tears falling fiercely. This just wasn't fair. She couldn't stand Draco and yet now she was expected to marry him? How her father could have ever thought this was a good idea was something that still baffled her. Astoria knew her crying was pointless. She had no choice but to marry Draco. Regardless of all the things she had hoped for and dreamed for it wouldn't make a difference now.

Astoria would be marrying Draco Malfoy. Her mind still wouldn't comprehend those words. She was sure the contract probably held all the specifics; how long they had to plan, how long they had to conceive, all those things she wasn't ready to think about but would soon have too. But as the tears continued to run down her face she wondered did Draco even know? If he did know, how long has he known? Astoria hated to think that he knew back when they were both at Hogwarts. All those times she had passed him or avoided him and he could've known? A shiver ran up her spine at the thought even as the tears continued to fall. At least when she was still in school she could imagine she would have a happy life with someone she fell in love with. Perhaps those hopes made the news that much harder for her to hear.

The tears fell for a few more minutes before Astoria could manage to stop them, a few deep breaths helping keep them from falling anymore. Slowly she dried her face, using the back of her hand since she didn't have anything else handy at that moment. Once she was sure she was composed she carefully got to her feet, making her way over to her desk in the corner. She took a seat in the chair with a sigh, glancing around her desk for a moment. Finally she opened her drawer and pulled out a fresh piece of parchment, setting it on her desk before pulling out her favorite quill. Reaching over to uncap her ink bottle she considered what to write, doubting anything she would write would sound good. Eventually she dipped her quill into the ink, giving up on trying to sound correct and instead simply sound sane.

_Dear Draco,_

_I have just been informed about the marriage contract our fathers' arranged. It certainly came as a surprise to me, having not expected my father to arrange a marriage for me. However what's done is done, and I will work through it. I imagine we will need to meet soon to discuss the details of the contract as well as start planning the wedding. If you could let me know a time that is good for you soon I will find a place._

_Yours,_

_Astoria_

Astoria knew the letter probably sounded cold and distant, if not a bit disappointed. When she read it again though she couldn't even bring herself to add a bit of cheerfulness or happiness to it. She certainly wasn't happy, and there was nothing to be cheerful about in her opinion. As she sealed the letter she stood up, walking over to her owl by the window. Carefully she got her owl out of its cage, attaching the letter securely to its leg. Astoria walked it over to the window and opened it, watching as her owl flew away with the letter that would change her whole future, whether she was prepared for it or not.


	2. Chapter 2

Astoria was looking into her closet. It had been a week since she had found out she was to marry Draco. A week since they made plans to meet for dinner at some fancy Italian restaurant he knew about. A week just wasn't enough time for Astoria to get used to the fact that she was engaged to Draco Malfoy. A shiver still ran up her spine at the thought. She hadn't done much over the past week. The realization would hit her at unexpected moments, leaving her crying in the shower, or dashing up to her room to keep from crying in front of her parents. By that point Astoria felt like she had cried herself out, which was something she was thankful for since she was meeting him for dinner that evening. Astoria was trying to decide what to wear to this dinner. It's not like it was a date, since they were already engaged there was no reason for dating, but she knew she still needed to be dressed appropriately.

After a bit of digging and a bit of searching, Astoria settled on a black pencil skirt that fell about mid thigh, and an emerald green lace shit with a black tank top underneath it. As she looked at herself in the mirror she tried to determine what was missing, her eyes almost automatically noticing the empty neckline. Astoria walked over to her jewelry box on the dresser, opening it to search for her emerald pendent necklace. Once she found it she quickly put it on, slipping the matching drop earrings in her ears. Returning to the mirror again Astoria checked whether her outfit needed anything else. With a small sigh she walked back to her closet, pulling her thick black belt off its hook and slipping it around her thin waist. Astoria gave the mirror one last look before determining her outfit was probably as good as it was going to get. With a few flicks of her wand her black hair curled, Astoria pulling it away from her face into a clip while leaving the majority of the curls flowing down her back. After slipping on some black lace ballet flats she walked into her bathroom, applying a little bit of make-up. She didn't use too much though since she still wasn't sure whether she was done with her crying or not.

Walking back into her room she grabbed her black clutch out of her closet, slipping her wand into it before turning towards her door. She quickly left her room, walking down the stairs to let her parents know she was leaving. Her father gave an almost grunt of an acknowledgement while her mother looked up at her. Astoria hesitated, waiting for her mothers' approval. Finally her mother gave a nod and told her not to stay out too late. Astoria let out a slow sigh as she walked to the front door, closing the door behind her before apparating to the front of this restaurant Draco had told her about. Astoria looked quickly around, relieved to see that Draco was already there waiting for her. The last thing she wanted to do was have to wait for him outside of a restaurant she knew nothing about. As she walked up to him he spotted her, Astoria seeing his eyes take in her outfit before focusing upon her own eyes.

"Good evening Miss Greengrass." Draco said softly once Astoria stopped in front of him.

"Good evening Mister Malfoy." Astoria said in return, extending her hand towards him.

She watched as he carefully took a hold of her hand, bringing it up to place a soft kiss upon the back of her hand. Astoria kept her face blank as she watched, waiting until he let go of her hand to give him a small smile.

"Shall we?" Draco asked, Astoria giving a small nod before leading the way into the restaurant. Soon they were being lead towards the table Draco had reserved for them, sitting slightly separately from the rest of those in the restaurant. As she sat down Astoria knew they should just get the planning started, there was no reason to put this off.

"So Draco, I'm thinking we should get these plans started and out of the way." Astoria said as the waiter poured them each a glass of wine before walking away. She looked at Draco waiting for his to agree with her words, but he seemed to have something else on his mind.

"Astoria, I agree. This was a shock to both of us. I found out at the same time you did, so neither of us could have been prepared for what was put upon us. But even though this isn't ideally what we wanted I do want to make this wedding everything you could have hoped for, starting with the engagement ring." Draco told Astoria. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly at his words. It almost sounded like he actually wanted to marry her, but the last part of his sentence through her off a bit. An engagement ring?

"A ring? You don't have to get me an engagement ring Draco, it's not that big of a deal to me." Astoria tried to tell him, but she knew her words were pointless when he pulled the small ring box out of his pocket, sitting it on the table in front of her. Astoria looked down at it, taking a deep breath to try and calm her sudden nerves. This wasn't how she was supposed to receive an engagement ring. She should be receiving this ring when she was in love, with her man down on one knee and looking up at her with love in his eyes. Astoria took a few deep breaths, willing her thoughts to go away and willing the butterflies in her stomach to settle down. Once she was sure her hand wouldn't shake Astoria picked up the box and opened it, holding back a gasp.

The ring was beautiful, that was the only way she could think to describe it. Astoria stared as Draco took the box out of her hands and took the ring out. Slowly, carefully, he picked her hand up off the table before placing the ring upon her finger, the band automatically sizing to fit her finger perfectly. She could tell it was white gold, the band lined with diamonds. The diamonds circling around to surround three larger diamonds, the two outside ones were normal white diamonds, but the middle one was a rare soft green diamond. It complemented her green eyes perfectly. As Astoria stared at the ring, still trying to memorize the finer details of it, she heard Draco explain its history.

"That ring was my great-great-grandmothers, passed down through the family on my fathers' side. Apparently my mother didn't think it was good enough for her though, because it was sitting in the jewelry safe at the Manor. When my parents told me about the marriage they arranged my father told me I could choose any ring in the safe to give to you. Out of all the rings this one, for some reason, caught my attention the most." Draco finished with a small smile, looking happy over Astoria's apparent approval.

Astoria did approve of it; the ring was perfect, though if this was just an engagement ring she was almost afraid to see what the wedding ring was going to look like. She didn't say anything along those lines; instead she smiled and said, "It's perfect Draco, thank you." At that moment the waiter came up to take their order. Astoria ordered a salad, knowing she needed to watch what she ate if she was going to look perfect in her dress, and Draco ordered some type of pasta and sauce. Once the waiter walked away again Astoria took a sip of her wine, the taste perfect for the food they were about to eat. She let silence fall upon them for a moment, Astoria focusing her thoughts back upon the possible plans for the wedding. Carefully she set the glass back upon the table before looking across at Draco and speaking.

"Well Draco, I was thinking we should have the wedding at my parents' manor, the back yard would be a perfect size for a beautiful wedding..." On and on the conversation went. Astoria was slightly surprised about all the topics they touched upon, their food giving them the opportunity to think about each others' suggestions. They agreed to have the wedding at Astoria's parents' house, both of them loving the idea of having it outside. They settled on the colors of green, silver, and black, knowing that's what they had the most of decoration wise and also what the guests would most likely have the most of. Astoria decided Daphne would be her maid of honor while Draco said he would let her know who he decided on.

They decided on a date in late September, a good two months from then. It gave them plenty of time to plan the small details but also fit within the time limits in the contract. All the other details they could figure out between now and then since the more important decisions had been made. Soon their dinner plates were empty and the meal was paid for, the two of them walking out of the restaurant. They bid each other good night, planning to set up another day to meet and discuss more details. Draco gave Astoria a small kiss on her cheek before she apparated back home, arriving to a quiet house. She quickly and quietly made her way through the house to her room, changing out of her dinner clothes and into something to sleep in. As she lay down in her bed she turned onto her side, her eyes wandering to the ring on her left hand. She realized then she had forgotten to ask something that had been on her mind the past week, but she shrugged it off, knowing she still had two months to decide on such things.


	3. Chapter 3

Much to Astoria's dismay, the next few days flew by. Astoria didn't do much; she had tried to spend as much time in her room as possible simply to avoid her family. She didn't really want to face her parents with the upcoming wedding drawing closer and closer. How could she discuss plans with them that she wasn't even sure about herself? Astoria realized any amount of time she spent with her parents always meant the conversation turned towards the wedding she was trying to plan. It still bothered her that she no longer had a choice in the matter of who she would marry. Though she knew she couldn't blame her father for arranging a proper marriage, she was still upset at not being told about it long ago. Yes, she had always known it was a possibility, but it would have been nicer to be told she didn't have a choice in the matter.

Astoria had spent these few days in her room trying to not think of the wedding. However it seemed even as she tried to draw her mind away from the wedding it always seemed to turn right back around to it. All the little details of what still needed to be planned kept slinking back into her mind even as she tried to forget about them. Every time she thought anything about the wedding it depressed her knowing she can't get out of it. Although she had finally admitted to herself that she had, in a way, lucked out at getting paired with Draco. As she laid there in her bed at nights, trying not to think about the wedding, she had thought back to those she could have been paired with. All those families who had eligible sons, most of whom had followed the Dark Lord during the war much more than the Malfoys had, would've definitely been worse in Astoria's mind. At least after Mister Malfoy's mistakes the family had slowly been working their way towards redemption. After all the horrible thoughts about possibilities of who she could be contracted to spend the rest of her life with she realized she couldn't complain about it being Draco. But she could complain about being so young and required to get married.

She had been writing letters back and forth to Draco during these days, neither of them bringing up the wedding but instead simply talking about themselves. It probably would've been easier to get to know Draco face-to-face, but each time he had suggested going out for tea or anything similar she just couldn't quite bring herself to accept. Even as she remained in her room she knew life was still going on. So she was aware of what was going on outside his walls enough to know she had to get dressed that day. That was what she was in the process of doing, pulling a pair of jeans out of her closet. Draco had requested that she accompany him somewhere that evening. He hadn't told her where, just that she didn't have to dress up. Astoria was pulling her jeans on as she thought of what shirt to wear.

After a bit of debating she pulled out a black tank top, lace lining the top and bottom. He had told her not to dress up so she wasn't, but she knew she at least had to look presentable. It was almost ingrained in her brain that she should never leave the house in something she wouldn't want to meet the Minister in. So her Muggle jeans with a lace lined black tank top sounded perfect to her. The fanciest part of the whole outfit was the black high heels she put on and the silver locket necklace she had added to fill up the neckline. She stuck her wand in her back pocket and looked in the mirror. Quickly she ran her brush through her hair before pulling out her wand and casting a spell to make it loosely braid itself. Satisfied she went into her bathroom and applied a bit of make-up, but she didn't apply anything too heavy since it wasn't a formal event. Astoria placed a pair of diamond stud earrings in her ears and, after one last look in the mirror, she was ready to go.

As if he had heard her thoughts Draco knocked on the front door then, picking Astoria up since she didn't know where they were going. Astoria walked towards her door, closing it behind her just as she heard the house elf open the front door on the floor below. Her parents hardly ever answered the door themselves; almost seeming to think they were above answering the front door. Astoria had no problem answering the door if she was there, but she wasn't going to hurry down the stairs just to do so when she knew the house elf would beat her to it. When she rounded the curve of the stairs though she saw the Entrance Hall was empty. Her eyebrows furrowed as she reached the bottom of the stairs, turning the corner to see the house elf had shown Draco to the drawing room. He wasn't sitting down though, instead standing and looking into the fire. Before Astoria could say anything to him he turned around, the sound of her heels on the hard wood alerting him of her presence. The first thing she noticed about him was his clothes.

She had never seen him in such casual clothes before. His black jeans complementing the dark emerald green t-shirt he was wearing and a black dragon's hide jacket finished the outfit. Astoria couldn't quite understand the need for a jacket, considering it wasn't even August yet. But she didn't say anything, her mind luckily working ahead of her mouth. He probably had other reasons to be wearing something with long sleeves, something he likely wasn't ready to talk about and Astoria wasn't ready to bring up. Astoria didn't comment upon it though, instead commenting upon the next obvious thing.

"Good evening Draco." Astoria said softly, remaining standing in the doorway as Draco closed the distance between them.

"Good evening Astoria. I'm assuming you are ready to go?" He asked, stopping in front of her as he waited for her to answer.

Astoria gave a slight nod before speaking, "I am if you are."

Draco gave a small nod to indicate he was ready before letting Astoria lead them out of the Manor. Once the door was shut behind them and they were walking down the walk she glanced at Draco to speak again.

"At least you're on time. But are you going to tell me where we are going yet?" Astoria asked her soon-to-be husband. She knew though he wasn't going to tell her when she saw a soft smile come to his lips. All he said was, "You will see." With that Draco offered her his arm, allowing Astoria to place a hand upon it. Without further ado Astoria felt the compression of apparation take her as Draco led them to their destination.


	4. Chapter 4

When Astoria felt the compression end and could finally blink she eyes she saw they had apparated in front of a house. But it wasn't just a plain old house; it was more like a large Manor. Her family Manor was a rather large one, but it certainly didn't compare to the one they were currently walking towards. She blinked, making sure her surprise didn't show on her face. The last thing Astoria needed was to look surprised when they had literally just arrived. Already though her mind was considering the possibilities of where they were. Surely if she was having dinner with his parents he would have warned her, right? Draco wouldn't have just thrown that upon her, right? She had her doubts though as they walked up the drive, the butterflies in her stomach getting worse and worse with each step.

As they walked closer to the Manor she started to hear the faint sounds of music, the music only becoming louder and louder with each step they took. Her curiosity over what was in the house was overcoming her nerves about the same thing. Astoria could only guess it was some form of a party that was in the house. But a party for what Astoria couldn't quite figure out yet. Luckily her questions were about to be answered. When there were about ten steps from the door Draco looked down at her, finally explaining.

"This is an engagement party." Astoria's eyes widened slightly before Draco added, "Not for us, but for my friend Blaise Zabini. He was forced into an arranged marriage kind of like us, but his mother is making a bigger deal out of it than ours seems to be. It was requested that I bring you, but it isn't a formal party, and you don't need to impress any of these people. So just try to relax and have fun." A small smile came to Draco's face as he looked down at her, waiting for some form of a reaction.

Astoria briefly nodded in response, still not sure what to think at the moment. She was relieved that the party wasn't for them. Astoria couldn't imagine what she would do if her parents had forced her to do something else she wouldn't want to do. But she was slightly sad that others were being forced into something similar to what Draco and herself were being forced into. Even worse was that his mother was making a bigger deal about it, to the point of throwing a party. Who knew what else his mother would put them through before they were actually married? It was with a sigh that she walked up the steps to the house with Draco, putting a smile on her face when the door was opened.

There stood Blaise Zabini along with, who Astoria assumed was his soon-to-be wife, Pansy Parkinson. It slightly surprised her to see the pair of them together. She still remembered how Pansy would follow Draco around like a love sick puppy dog while they were at Hogwarts. At that moment Pansy didn't look anything like she did at Hogwarts. Instead she looked completely happy, beaming at the two of them while Blaise kept his face typically blank. The smile on Astoria's face mimicked the one on Pansy's, expressing congratulations and well wishes before being ushered into the home, and into the party. Oh and what a party it was. They had managed to snag the popular band the Weird Sisters, they had an open bar (since all attending were over the legal age), and plenty of other people they went to school with were dancing around the room.

Some she wasn't surprised to see, like Nott and Goyle. That group had gone to Hogwarts together, having shared a dorm room throughout the years, so it made sense that they would be there. Though there were some she recognized as being in other houses when they were at Hogwarts, and she even thought she might have spotted a Weasley in the corner, which one though she couldn't be too sure. She hid how surprised she was to see that. While after the war they had, for the most part, settled their differences they still didn't spend any social time with them. With in no time she seemed to be passed from person to person with Draco by her side, each offering their congratulations and good lucks. Sounds of both amazement and sympathy were ringing in her ears in no time at all.

Apparently there are many others in the Pureblood community that have had their marriages arranged by their parents. From what Astoria could gather though none of them were happy with the situation, making her glad it wasn't just herself that wasn't happy with the news. By the time they made it to the other side of the room they had managed to see everyone, Astoria letting out a slow sigh of relief. She had assumed that she would probably experience a night similar to this but she hadn't been prepared for it to be so soon. She still wasn't completely comfortable with the idea of her marriage so to hear everyone congratulating her was slightly odd.

Astoria walked over to the bar in the corner, Draco following behind her. She ordered some mixed drink, not really sure what she pointed to on the menu. She just knew she wanted something that would calm her thoughts and there was nothing better than a drink to accomplish that at that moment. After taking a rather big drink of the pink concoction Astoria set it back down on the bar. The combination of strawberry, banana and something else still on her tongue. Perhaps she should remember what this drink was, it was quite tasty. It was then she turned to see Draco still standing behind her, waiting for her to compose herself. She took a few steps towards him, saying softly, "I'm sorry, it's just a lot to take in."

Draco shook his head, "I understand you don't need to apologize. If you need to we can go now, I just had to make an appearance." He told her softly. Astoria thought for a moment, debating what to do. She really did want to leave, but she knew she shouldn't. This was part of the Pureblood society, making and holding up appearances. Astoria had a feeling this would be what she would be doing for the next year, watching her friends and schoolmates go through the same things she was. She would certainly have to attend more, so she had better get used to it. "No, I'm fine. We can stay a bit longer." Astoria finally replied, letting a small smile come to her face to hopefully show she was sincere about her words.

She quickly turned back towards the bar and picked up her drink, downing the rest of the drink in her glass before ordering another and taking that around with her. Astoria didn't intend on drinking it, but she had it more to have something to do with her hands. She let Draco lead them a little bit away from the bar, but not in the middle of the crowd. There were still many people dancing in the middle of the floor while others lingered along the edge like they were. Almost out of habit it seemed Astoria was taking small sips of the drink in her hand as her eyes watched the couples dancing. As she watched her eyes recognized numerous others in the crowd. Even Daphne was there dancing with her husband, much to Astoria's surprise. While she knew she should probably go talk to her sister she just couldn't convince herself to move from that spot.

Astoria was distracted as a waiter came by to take her now empty glass and hand her a new one. She took it without questioning though she didn't remembering finishing her previous one. Those two drinks though certainly had her feeling good. It was then that she felt comfortable enough to leave Draco's side and head to her sisters. While she didn't dance she did give her a brief hug before letting her return to her dancing. Astoria took her time heading back to Draco, seeing him speaking with Goyle and Blaise. She took sips of her drink as she socialized with a few other girls she went to school with. Soon she was standing in front of Draco who was alone once again. By that point she had finished her third drink, Astoria feeling slightly unstable in her high heels.

She let Draco lead them as they walked back past the bar Astoria carefully set the glass down on the bar before heading to the back of the room. Astoria had a rather tight grasp upon Draco's arm. She knew she was probably leaning onto him more than she should, but she didn't want to chance trying to walk on her own and falling in front of all these people. That would be more mortifying than leaning on Draco currently was. It seemed that Draco knew she had had one too many drinks, because she realized he was leading her slowly towards the door, bidding people goodbye as he passed them. No one stopped them on their way to the door and soon they were standing in front of Blaise and Pansy once again.

Once they had bid the engaged couple good-bye they were allowed to leave the house, Astoria breathing a huge sigh of relief once they were a safe distance from the house. "Well that was more than I was prepared for this evening." Astoria finally said, allowing Draco to walk with her down the road. Draco softly smiled before saying, "I know, I'm sorry, I just didn't want you to worry about it more than you needed to. The party wasn't a big deal, it was just something I had to go to, and I needed you to go with me." She felt Draco shrug a shoulder at his words.

Astoria didn't say anything in reply. She understood why he hadn't told her, because he was right in assuming she would make a bigger deal about it than she needed to. But she still didn't like not being told about such things. It just isn't fun to be caught off guard in her opinion. At least if she had had warning she could've mentally prepared herself for the party and all the people she would see. "I understand Draco, just next time; please tell me where we are going, so I can maybe not be so overwhelmed next time." Astoria finally said, noticing her words slur just slightly. That must have been one heck of a drink that bartender gave her.

"I'm sorry for drinking so much; I know that isn't very lady like." Astoria said softly, concentrating on her words so they wouldn't slur. Her mother had always taught her that a lady didn't drink, so for her to be slurring her words and unsteady on her feet wasn't a good thing. Draco quickly shook his head, "Don't apologize, that's what I get for not giving you any warning." He told her as they continued walking down the street. "I would apparate you home, but it's not safe with you so uncoordinated at the moment. It's a short walk to my house, then a little further to yours. Once we get to mine we could always use the floo network to send you home, but that might not help either. It's up to you."

Astoria thought about what options he told her, silently agreeing that they shouldn't apparate. The last thing she needed was to splinch her drunken self and she was sure that would be what would happen if she attempted to apparate at that moment. But she didn't think she should use the floo either, because she agreed with Draco, the spinning certainly wouldn't help either. "Let's just make it to your house then we'll go from there." She finally said, before she thought of something, "Is it your house or your parents' house?" Astoria asked quietly, not sure what she wanted the answer to be.

"It's my house. Or more like one of the houses my family owns, but I'm living in it. I just needed to get away from my parents after everything that happened." Draco replied quietly, not elaborating on why he needed to get away. She could only imagine why he needed to get away from his parents home and wasn't sure whether she wanted to know that answer. Astoria didn't question his answer, instead letting him lead her up the drive of a modest home. She carefully looked up, first noticing that it looked more like a cottage than anything else. But it was big if it was going to be compared to a cottage.

Draco lead her through the front door and she was greeted by cool shades of blues and greens, turning to the left she found the living room, to the right a dining room, with the kitchen behind that. She let herself be lead into the living room and over towards the couch. Astoria sat down upon the couch slowly, watching as Draco sat beside her. She watched as he flicked his wand, causing tea to appear on the coffee table in front of them. With another flick of his wand a fire started in the hearth in front of them, illuminating the room softly. Soon she was being handed a cup of tea as Draco picked his up, leaning back against the back of the couch.

Astoria too leaned back, cupping the tea. She took a few sips, letting the warmth sink its way down to the base of her stomach. After taking another sip she set her cup down on the table before leaning back again. Her stomach still felt unsettled, her head even more so. She let out a slow sigh before speaking, "Draco, I don't think I can floo home, or apparate. I'm still too queasy." She spoke quietly, not meeting his eyes as she said this. Astoria was so ashamed of herself for drinking enough to get this way, it wasn't like her. Draco however put a hand on her arm, causing Astoria to look at him.

"It's fine, I understand. Do you think you're the only person who got a bit carried away? I have a guest room upstairs, even with its own bathroom. You can sleep in there for the night and I will be down the hall if you need anything." Draco quietly said. Astoria could see the sincerity of his words in his eyes, that being what caused her to slowly nod to agree with his words. Draco leaned forward and set his tea down before standing up, offering a hand for Astoria to take. Astoria carefully placed her hand in his, slowly standing up. She watched as Draco waived his wand once more, vanishing the cups of tea.

She let him lead her into the hall and up the small staircase, Astoria concentrating on each step she took so she wouldn't fall backwards. At the very top Draco gestured to the door right at the top on the right. Astoria pushed it open as Draco spoke, "Here you go, the guest bedroom, the bathroom is through that door over there. I'm sure if you dig through the closet you could find some of my mother's old nightclothes. Her and father used to stay here years ago. I will be down the hall in the other bedroom if you need me ok? Sleep well." Draco told her, giving her a kiss on the cheek before turning, going to the door down the hall.

Astoria walked into the modest size room, looking around her. She didn't think this night would have lead to her this moment, but here she was. Astoria sighed as she looked around, not sure really what to do first.


	5. Chapter 5

Astoria stood there and looked around the room, admiring how well decorated it was. The dark wood floors matched the four-poster bed perfectly, the teal of the bedspread complementing the ocean blue walls in a calming manner. After standing there a moment she reached to her back pocket for her wand, giving it a flick and turning on the light beside the bed. Slowly she walked to the closet door on the wall beside her, hoping there would still be clothes in it as she carefully opened it. It was almost a relief to find that there were clothes still in the closet, even if it was fashion that was a few years too old. Since she didn't particularly care about the fashion she slept in she started searching.

She dug and dug, passing by robes and jeans and cocktail dresses, she even passed by a silk and lace nighty. Astoria finally pulled out a white men's button up shirt. As she held it up she couldn't help but think that would be more comfortable to sleep in than any of the things she had already looked at. She looked at the size, seeing it was a men's medium. A soft smile crept to her face as she realized it would fit her perfectly and fall just far enough down to cover everything perfectly. She took the shirt and headed to the bathroom, a warm shower sounding perfect to her at that moment.

The bathroom was full of tiles of blues, greens, and whites, all seeming to flow into each other seamlessly. Astoria set the shirt and her wand on the counter, along with a clean towel she found in a cabinet just inside the door. Quickly she turned the water on so it could warm up, leaving her clothes on the floor as she took then off. Soon she was standing under the warm water, letting it attempt to wash away the drinks from earlier. Her mind remained blissfully blank as she finished her shower, Astoria not sure whether that was because of the drinks or because of how late it was. A few minutes later though she was drying off, feeling slightly more awake now that she had taken a shower.

But as she slipped the shirt on and walked into the bedroom she realized feeling more awake probably wasn't a good thing. Now she knew she wouldn't be able to get to sleep. It was always easier to sleep when she had had one too many drinks, but now that the effects were slowly working its way out of her system she would likely not get to sleep anytime soon. Astoria slowly walked over to the bed, setting her wand on the nightstand before carefully stepping up into the bed. As she sat there and looked around the room she realized just how big the bed was. It was moments like this Astoria wished she had her cat, or someone next to her. It was this last thought though that stuck with her.

Why couldn't she sleep with someone next to her? Draco was down the hall, and they were going to be married after all, so why couldn't she fall asleep next to him now. Her mind slowly mulled the idea over; able to see how it could go wrong. But even all the things that could go wrong wasn't enough to push the idea from her mind. It was with this thought in mind that Astoria carefully slipped out of bed, stumbling slightly before quietly walking to the door of the bedroom and opening it slowly. As she stuck her head out she saw that Draco's door was cracked open, the flickering of candle light visible and telling her he was still awake. Astoria sighed, walking back to the nightstand she grabbed her wand. After two flicks her clothes were folded, sitting on the bed, and the light was off.

Astoria took a breath before walking out the bedroom door and walking quietly down the hall to Draco's door. After a moment's hesitation she knocked on his door, saying "Draco?" as she opened it and took a small step in. When her eyes adjusted to the dim light she saw that Draco was lounging in his bed and reading a book, wearing only a pair of lounge pants. Astoria couldn't keep her eyes from looking the defined muscles of his stomach which only became more defined as he sat up slightly before speaking. She forced her attention to his face and focused on what he was saying, "Astoria, is everything ok?"

She watched as Draco set his book down on the bed, sitting up a tad bit more to watch what Astoria was doing. Astoria glanced down at his gaze, realizing then what she was wearing, or rather what she wasn't wearing. A light blush crept to her face as she looked up and cleared her throat before answering, "I'm fine, I just couldn't get to sleep. The bed was a bit too cold and a big too big for just me." Astoria couldn't quite meet his eyes as she spoke, still slightly embarrassed about her lack of clothing. Slowly she took another step into the room before focusing her eyes back upon Draco. She watched as he visibly relaxed at her words, relaxing back against the pillows just slightly. Astoria couldn't help but wonder whether he had actually been concerned about whether she was ok, the possibility slightly surprised her but she didn't say anything about it.

Her thoughts were interrupted when he commented about the shirt she was wearing, only making her blush even more. "So you managed to find one of my old shirts in that closet huh? I forgot that was in there." Draco said with a smile, before continuing, "Come here, you can sleep in here if you want. I promise I will behave." Astoria smiled at this, knowing she could defend herself if he didn't behave. She tried to forget what she was wearing as she crossed the room. There was no reason to be concerned about anything, and she was sure Draco wouldn't take advantage of the situation. As she stopped beside the bed Draco pulled back the covers, Astoria carefully climbing onto the bed on Draco's right and sliding underneath them.

Astoria watched as Draco placed his book on his nightstand and shut the light off before sliding under the covers himself, keeping a decent distance between them. She pulled the covers up towards her chin, letting out a slow sigh as she felt the warmth almost radiating for him. "Thank you for letting me stay here for the night." Astoria told him softly, turning her head enough to look at him. The moonlight illuminating the room enough for Astoria to see a small smile come to his face before he spoke. "It's not a problem. You will be staying here soon anyway. I mean, if that's what you want." He replied quietly, seeing him shift enough to put his arm around her, pulling her close.

She didn't immediately reply, considering what he said before settling on, "Well, I would have to see the rest of the house before I commit to such things." This response caused her to giggle for some reason, earning a small chuckle from Draco in return. Quickly though she regained control of herself, turning onto her side to rest her head on his chest. Astoria figured if she was going to sleep beside him she should at least get comfortable. She let her hand trace a light line down his stomach, outlining his abs, before letting her arm drape across his chest, watching as his left hand came to rest on her arm. It almost didn't feel like what was happening was real, although the firm chest beneath her told her that it certainly was real. Astoria sighed in contentment, shifting her head slightly. Before she could close her eyes though something on Draco's left arm caught her attention, Astoria focusing upon it.

Astoria didn't move, didn't say a word. Her mind was already running away with the sight though, soon realizing what it was. While the realization might have shocked her under different circumstances, at that moment, under the influence of a few drinks, she couldn't find it in herself to be too surprised. Astoria had suspected that before then, little things like him wearing long sleeves during the summer having indicated its presence before then. But it was still odd to see it confirmed, almost staring her in the face. She didn't want to say anything though, not sure if there was anything to say. Instead moved her arm out from under Draco's hand, allowing his hand to rest on his stomach as Astoria let her hand trace the outline of the Mark, feeling Draco tense up beneath her.

When he went to move his arm away she grabbed a hold of his hand before propping herself up on her elbow and looking down at Draco. She could see the guarded look on Draco's face, that sight enough to cause her to speak. "Relax Draco. You don't need to look so serious. I was there, I remember what happened and I remember how things were. Don't feel like you need to hide anything from me." Astoria felt his hand relax slightly, almost like it was losing its need to pull away from her. Her eyes watched as he instead brought his hand up, feeling him tuck a stray strand of hair before her ear before tracing a line down to beneath her jaw. "Thank you." Draco said very softly. Before she could respond he lifted his head up, moving enough to place a very soft kiss on Astoria's lips.

The feeling of butterflies returned to her stomach at the contact, her hand almost automatically moving up to his cheek before drifting back to grasp his hair. When her hand grasped his hair she felt him gasp against her lips, the kiss quickly moving from a soft one to a needy one. She felt his hand move from her chin to her hair, almost like he was as intent on continuing the kiss as she was. When she felt his hand drift down her neck a small shiver ran up her spine, intensifying a need she didn't know she had. His hand continued to drift even lower down her side as their kiss deepened. When she felt his hand move around towards her front she felt her breath catch, Draco tracing a soft line over her breast.

It was almost like that line was connected to every nerve in her body, making her gasp to catch her breath as a heat seemed to spread throughout her body. At her gasp though Draco pulled his hand away and broke the kiss, bringing his hand up to cup her cheek and keep her from moving forward to continue the kiss. Neither of them spoke though as they tried to catch their breath, Draco being the first one to do so. "This isn't the time Astoria. Not when you're still under the influence of alcohol. I'm not going to break your trust." Draco said softly. Astoria knew he was right, knew it was the right thing to do. She simply gave a small nod, feeling Draco move to kiss her on the forehead before lying back down.

Astoria slowly laid her head back down upon his chest, bringing her hand to rest across his body as Draco said, "We should probably get some sleep Astoria, I'm sure you're parents will be wondering where you are in the morning." Astoria knew he was probably correct with those words, though she didn't say anything, her mind still thinking upon that kiss. She was eventually soothed to sleep with Draco tracing soft lines up and down her back, and Astoria's thoughts on the man who was beside her, who she was going to be spending her life with.


	6. Chapter 6

The sun was bright the next morning, shining through the window and into Astoria's still shut eyes. She certainly would've slept longer if it hadn't been for the sun, but the brightness being enough to wake her up. With a small sigh she cracked her eyes to before shutting them close against the sun. Straightening her body out and stretching, Astoria turned over away from the sunlight. As she turned over her hand fell upon a warm chest beside her. Astoria's breath caught in surprise as her eyes shot open, attempting to sit up as her mind scrambled to remember where she was. Her swiftness in sitting up though caused a pain to shoot through her head, a headache from the previous nights' drinks taking a hold of her mind. Letting out a slow sigh she remembered where she was and who she was in bed with.

Astoria placed her head in her hands, both because she was embarrassed at her reaction and because her head hurt. She hoped Draco didn't see her reaction although that was soon proven wrong, a small laugh that came from him then telling her that he saw the whole thing. "Oh Draco, you didn't see that." Astoria groaned softly, before lying back down against the pillow and bringing her arm over her eyes. That comment though just caused Draco to laugh a bit louder. She turned her head, giving Draco a glare beneath her arm before letting out a small giggle at the smile on his face.

"I forgot where I was for a moment." Astoria softly said, once silence fell upon them. "I wasn't expecting my hand to land on a warm chest beside me." Astoria let out a slow giggle at her words as her eyes glanced at the chest in question before locking onto his eyes. She watched as he smiled, before saying, "I had forgotten too, but at least I didn't react like you did." Astoria reached over to give him a soft slap on his arm, Draco quickly jumping out of bed before Astoria could make contact. She let herself lay there, a soft smile on her face as she watched Draco stretch towards the ceiling before walking into his bathroom.

Once the door shut behind him Astoria slowly stood up, stretching a bit more before slowly walking out of the bedroom and down to the guest room. The room was exactly how she had left it, with the bed slightly messed up from where she had sat on it the previous night and her clothes still folded on the bed. Astoria took her time heading towards the bathroom, grabbing her clothes off the bed along the way. As she set her clothes on the counter in the bathroom she couldn't help but debate whether she should wear the same clothes she had been wearing the previous night. Eventually she pulled on her jeans and boots, putting her bra on before folding both her shirt from the night before and the shirt she slept in. Astoria vaguely remembered the amount of clothes that had been in the closet the night before, the thought enough to cause her to walk out of the bathroom and to the closet.

After a bit more digging she found a few casual shirts, Astoria picking a loose dark green shirt that rested just off her shoulders and rested from one hip across to the middle of her thigh. Satisfied she walked back into the bathroom, looking in the mirror and using her wand to fix her hair and makeup. Another flick of her wand fixed her exposed bra straps as well as sending her shirt from the previous night back home to wait for her on her bed. With one last glace in the mirror she nodded in satisfaction. As she left the bathroom she placed Draco's folded shirt on the bed. Astoria didn't see any reason to put it back where she had found it, suspecting if anything she would need it again if she found herself sleeping there again.

She slowly walked out the room and down the steps her head seeming to pound with each step. When she reached the bottom her nose caught a wonderful smell coming from the kitchen, Astoria ignoring her headache as she followed her nose to the kitchen. What she didn't expect was to see was a fully dressed Draco standing at the stove, finishing cooking some bacon and eggs. Her mouth parted slightly at the sight. He was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, his black button-up shirt had the sleeves carefully rolled up to his elbows. She quickly clamped her mouth shut as she took a seat at the bar, watching as Draco finished cooking the food and placed it onto two plates. With a flick of his wand a pitcher of fresh orange juice poured itself into two glasses before both the full glass and the full plate levitated to sit on the bar in front of her.

Her eyes followed Draco as he walked over to the cabinet, opening it and pulling out a vial before walking around to sit on the other barstool. He set the vial in front of her, Astoria easily recognizing it as a potion for her hangover. With a grateful smile she picked it up and drank it, setting the empty vial down with a sigh. As she waited for the food to cool she did her best to not stare at the sight, instead commenting, "Wow Draco, I didn't know you could cook." Astoria knew that was only the tip of the thoughts running through her mind at that moment, but that was the only one she was willing to comment about at that moment. Who would've thought Draco Malfoy could be so caring and sweet? Astoria never would've used those words to describe him while he was still at Hogwarts. At that moment though there weren't any better words coming to her mind that she could use to describe him. What had caused such a change in him was still a mystery to Astoria. While she was slightly curious about it she knew this wasn't the time for such a conversation, and his next words pulled her thoughts away from her question.

"There is a lot you don't know about me Astoria." Draco said with a small smile on his face before he picked up his fork and began eating. Astoria wasn't completely sure what to say to that, using her food as an excuse not to speak. What did his comment mean? What does she not know about him? The thought that there's still something else that she didn't know about made her stomach churn. "Well, there's nothing I need to know now is there?" Astoria asked tentatively. Her question caused Draco's eyebrows to furrow before he slightly shook his head.

"No, there's nothing like that. You already know the worst of me Astoria. Anything else can only be better than that." Draco said softly as he focused upon Astoria. His gaze was enough to cause her to blush.

"Of course, I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by the question. Your comment just caught me off guard and so I asked before I had truly thought the question through." Astoria said, starting to babble as she tried to explain. Draco brought his hand up, reaching over to grab hers, giving it a small squeeze.

"Don't apologize. I understand your need to question. Don't feel like you can't question things because you most certainly can. All I meant was we hardly know each other, so there's much we don't know about each other habits or hobbies or interests. There's just a lot we don't know about each other." Draco said with a small shrug and a smile. Astoria only felt her blush deepen.

"Yes you're absolutely correct. We don't know each other very well. There is a lot we don't know. I don't know why I didn't think of that when you said it." Astoria said, turning her attention back to her food as she willed her embarrassment to go away. Did she really have to ask such a question? Apparently even during a hangover her mind wouldn't quit questioning things she didn't know. She focused on finishing her breakfast in silence, Draco not breaking the silence as he too finished eating. Soon her thoughts turned back to her impending trip home, her blush quickly disappearing at that thought. When she had finished her plate and finished her orange juice she let out a sigh, glancing at Draco to see he too had finished.

"Well, I guess I should go home now. Thank you for letting me stay." Astoria said, standing up, watching Draco stand up too. She could only be thankful that the potion had kicked in and her head was blissfully calm, allowing her to talk to Draco without wincing at the noise. "It wasn't a problem Astoria, anytime. I will see you soon ok?" Draco replied, as he walked her to the front door. Astoria smiled, watching as Draco leaned in, placing a kiss on her cheek. At the contact she felt the butterflies in her stomach once again, her mind remembering her reaction to his kiss the previous night. She pushed the thought away though, concentrating on her words. "Yes I will see you soon." Astoria replied, walking out the door and hearing it shut behind her.

She took a few steps down the walk and, after taking a breath, Astoria apparated home. Slowly she walked to the front door, bracing herself before opening it and walking in. As soon as the door shut behind her she heard quick footsteps running towards the hall, Astoria wondering who had been waiting for her to return home.


	7. Chapter 7

Astoria mentally groaned at the footsteps. Couldn't she take two steps into the home before seeing her mother? Obviously that wasn't the case as her mother rounded the corner at that moment. For as quick as her mothers' footsteps had sounded they quickly coming to a stop, the glare in her eyes enough to tell Astoria that she was at least slightly upset. Before Astoria could say one word her mother began firing questions at her, not even seeming to take a breath between her questions.

"Where have you been? I've been so worried, didn't you think to send an owl? Let us know you were safe? Anything could have happened to you and we wouldn't have known."

"Mother…" She tried to interrupt.

"I don't know what made you think you could just spend the evening away without even informing us. Daphne certainly never did anything of the sort."

"Mother…" Astoria tried again.

"Daphne at least had the consideration to tell us when she was going to be gone over night. It's just unacceptable Astoria for you to not keep us informed."

"Mother! I'm not Daphne! I am of age and can take care of myself!" Astoria finally managed to say.

She watched as her mother crossed her arms, one of her delicate eyebrows arching at her. A bit too late Astoria realized she probably shouldn't have taken that route with her words. She had simply wanted her mother to stop with her rant and that was the only option available at that moment. As a silence fell upon them Astoria felt her stomach knot. Already she could tell she was going to regret having spoken up to her Mother.

As she suspected the next words her mother spoke was sending her to her room. Once Astoria was out of eyesight of her mother she rolled her eyes. Under different circumstances she wouldn't have listened, instead she would've protested about being told what to do when she was already of age. However since all she wanted to do was go to her room Astoria didn't bother protesting. It was a relief when she finally shut her bedroom door behind her, allowing Astoria to collapse on her bed, burying her head into her arms. She knew she should probably be planning. Begin sending owls, or picking decorations, but she couldn't find the motivation to do that at the moment.

Instead her mind seemed to wander. It moved from the wedding and possible plans to Draco, seeming to get stuck upon Draco. Astoria still couldn't believe she had spent the night at Draco's house, knowing she would have never considered doing that before the war, or even immediately after it. It also didn't help that she hadn't been sober enough to make it any further than his place. She knew though that if she had been in the same situation during the war she certainly wouldn't have stayed at his place. It was only after she had heard all that Draco went through that allowed Astoria to have a sliver of sympathy for him.

Out of all the pureblood families the Malfoy's suffered the most. Lucius was, still is, in a cell in Azkaban for all the crimes he committed during the war. Even Narcissa spent a month there, for not supporting the Ministry after the Dark Lord had come out. Draco too spent six months in Azkaban, for many different things. Conspiring to kill Dumbledore was just the beginning, and not supporting the Ministry didn't help, making it even worse when he joined the Dark Lord's side during the war at Hogwarts. Astoria suspected the only reason his sentence wasn't longer was because Harry Potter himself stood in support for Draco, something no one had seen coming.

Astoria had never asked what all Draco went through, knowing some of it would most likely give her nightmares. But the Daily Prophet published updates in every edition and she had read the trial summaries. Apparently Draco hadn't denied any of the charges that the Wizengamot piled upon him, instead simply stating that he did what he had to for his family to live. That must have struck a nerve with a few members of the Wizengamot, for his sentence was only six months, when others with similar crimes were still currently in Azkaban. Astoria knew she didn't want to know any of the details about what he had been required to do to keep his family alive. If killing Dumbledore was just the beginning, she didn't want to imagine what else was asked of him.

A shiver shot up Astoria's spine at the different possibilities, causing her to quickly sit up and look around her empty room. With a sigh she stood up and headed to her closet, intending on changing into more comfortable clothes. Since she didn't plan on going anywhere the rest of the day she settled on a pair of sweat pants and a tank top. Carrying her clothes to the bathroom she took a quick shower before putting the clothes on. As she folded her clothes she came home in she pondered whether she should return the shirt she had taken from the closet. Astoria couldn't help but think if Narcissa hadn't noticed the top missing before then it wasn't likely she would be looking for it anytime soon. With a sigh she tossed both her jeans and the top with the rest of the dirty laundry, knowing the house elf would clean her clothes before she would ever get the chance.

With a small sigh she walked back into her room, pausing just inside her room before walking over and taking a seat at her desk. Astoria pulled a blank piece of parchment towards her and picked up a quill. As she sat there she tried to think of where to start, there was just so much that needed to be planned but most of it she had to plan with Draco. After a moment she ended up just staring out her window, her mind drifting miles away towards Draco. For some reason she couldn't shake that kiss from her mind, the memory of it enough to cause butterflies in the pit of her stomach. Astoria had certainly kissed other boys before, but never had the memory stuck in her mind like that one was. What she wasn't sure about was whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, her mind now tossing that around instead of focusing upon planning like she had intended. With a small groan Astoria set her quill down and put laid her head on her desk, wondering if any of this was going to get any easier.


	8. Chapter 8

The next few days flew by, Astoria being dragged from one task to another. One day was spent looking at flowers while the next was spent sampling cakes. The flowers would turn into the decorations and the cake would turn into the food for the reception. Each evening was spent writing to Draco, keeping him informed on what she was planning as well as getting his opinion on different ideas. It was with a sigh of relief when she would lay down to sleep every night, but then it would start again in the morning. Within a week she had bought her wedding dress, bought a dress for Daphne, picked out the flower arrangements, decided on a cake, and chose the food for the reception. She was relieved to have all these picked out, but now all that was left was to wait for the wedding, which seemed to be the worst part.

About a month had managed to pass since she had found out about her arranged marriage to Draco, and she had only seen him two or three times since. Soon the time came for them to meet up once again, though this time Astoria knew it wasn't to attend a party. When she woke up that day it was accompanied with butterflies of nerves in her stomach. Astoria knew there was no reason to be nervous, but nothing she told herself made the nerves go away. That day she and Draco had agreed it was time to go and find a house for them to live in once they were married. Astoria had determined she didn't want to live in Draco's place, for she was not sure who all had been there, and would be able to find them. It was owned by the Malfoy's so Astoria thought it was likely that too many people she didn't know would know where the flat was. She knew that was a bit paranoid of her, but Astoria liked her privacy, and to feel safe.

She had decided on a simple, more professional, outfit, with a black lace skirt, black leggings, and an emerald green lace tank top beneath an un-buttoned black shirt with a belt over that. Astoria had loved the look of the belt with the outfit, knowing it gave her that hour-glass figure she loved so much about herself. A pair of black ballet flats completed the outfit, with Astoria grabbing a black clutch on her way out, tucking her wand into it as I walked down the stairs towards the front door. Astoria managed to avoid her mother as she left the manor, quickly apparating to meet Draco. They had agreed to meet at a local park, Astoria mainly wanting to avoid a meeting between her mother and Draco. After a moment of compression she found herself in the familiar park, the sound of children playing floating on the breeze.

Astoria slowly walked through the park, away from the playing children, before taking a seat upon a bench to wait for Draco. She wasn't completely sure what kind of house she wanted. No specific style of a house came to her mind when she thought about it. The only thing she was sure of was that she wanted a house, and not an apartment. That knowledge would be enough to get them started. Draco had told her he had arranged a few different houses for them to view that day. She felt slightly guilty that she hadn't offered any help, but Draco told her he had taken care of it. Almost as if her thoughts had summoned him, Astoria saw Draco appear down the path a bit.

She quickly stood up, taking in his outfit as he walked towards her. He was wearing something similar to hers, black dress pants, black dress shoes, with a silver button up shirt, the top few buttons unbuttoned. It seemed as if they both wanted to appear professional but not over done. "Do you approve Astoria?" He asked her, Astoria pulling her eyes towards his as she realized she was softly smiling. Quickly she straightened her face and gave a brief nod before speaking, "You look dashing Draco. You always did know how to pull off the professional yet casual look." She smiled as she saw a small smirk come to his lips, Astoria not allowing her eyes to remain focused upon his lips for too long. "Shall we get going?" Astoria asked once he had stopped in front of her.

With a brief nod Draco offered Astoria his arm, Astoria placed her hand upon it only to instantly be apparated away from the park. When she could open her eyes again she saw they were on a neighborhood street. The first thing she noticed was how quiet the street was, the fall leaves crunching beneath their footsteps on the sidewalk and a few chirping birds being the only sounds she heard. It looked to be a mostly Muggle neighborhood if Astoria was to take a guess, but she doubted Draco would move into a completely Muggle neighborhood. The houses weren't as close to each other as they were in the heart of the city, but the neighbors were still there. They walked in a comfortable silence down the street, before Draco stopped in front of the house on the corner.

Astoria looked up to see a modest two story brick home, with a small front porch and a decent sized front yard, a large oak tree providing shade for the whole yard. "Shall we go in?" Draco asked, Astoria simply able to nod as she allowed Draco to lead them up the short path and onto the front porch. From there she could see down three different streets, able to see what looked like a park down one of them while the other two looked to be full of more houses. She turned as she heard the door open, not surprised to see Draco holding the door open for her. Giving him a small smile she walked past him and into the home.

The first room was a living room, a fire place on the wall to her right, a staircase in front of her leading to the second floor, and a doorway beside the stairs in the living room with hard wood floors throughout. When she walked further into the living room she saw there was a bay window looking out over the front yard. Astoria moved to walk through the doorway beside the stairs, noticing it was the dining room, with another doorway on the opposite side of the table that she could see lead into the kitchen and another doorway on the wall to her left.

Walking towards her left around the table she looked through the door to see it was a small bathroom, before continuing into the kitchen. It wasn't a huge kitchen but Astoria wasn't much of a cook anyway, she did see that there was a door leading out into what looked like a sizeable back yard. With a last glance around the kitchen she suspected it had been recently updated which could only be a good thing in her opinion. Without commenting Astoria walked back through the dining room, towards the living room and up the stairs. It slightly surprised her to see Draco still standing in the living room, his hands in his pockets as he watched her walk towards him.

She didn't ask him why though, suspecting he had probably already looked at the house before she had. Astoria didn't mind though since it meant she didn't have to hide her reaction should it be a bad one. At the top of the stairs there were three rooms, including what she could already tell was a bathroom. Astoria stuck her head into the two guest rooms, glad to see they were a decent size each with their own closets. As she headed down the hall she peaked into the bathroom, smiling as she saw it was both a decent size and had recently been updated. Satisfied she continued making her way to the door at the end of the hall, the door Astoria knew had to be the master bedroom.

The size of that room was more than Astoria had expected, her eyebrows slightly rising at the sight. Its large size makes her believe some magic was involved in its' structure, but she didn't mind that. The room was a soft cream color, with a brown rug over the hard wood. There was a doorway on her left. Astoria slowly made her way towards it, her eyes still looking around the room. When she reached the door and opened it the first thing she saw beyond the door was two open closets, one on each side, presumably one for each of them. As she walked through the closet she walked into a much larger bathroom, where Astoria could already picture herself soaking in the tub.

Satisfied Astoria walked back out of the room and down the stairs, coming to a stop in front of Draco. Before he could ask her opinion about the home Astoria spoke. "I really like this house Draco. What do you think?" She asked him, softly smiling as she waited for his response. If he didn't like the house then she knew they would have to go look at others, but she was really hoping he liked this one. He seemed to be weighing his words, before finally answering, "I like it too. It's actually my favorite out of the ones we are going to see today, that's why I showed it to you first. Would you like to see the others?"

Astoria didn't answer right away, not sure if she did want to see other houses. She couldn't find anything wrong with this house and was slightly worried she would just start comparing the other houses to this house. If she was just going to start comparing them to this house she couldn't see any reason to look at the other houses. Her mind felt like it was going in circles, trying to make sure she had the right answer before speaking. "No, we both like this house, and you've seen the other ones and like this one the best. There's no reason to look at the others if we are going to pick this one in the end." Astoria watched as Draco softly smiled, obviously pleased with Astoria's decision.

"That makes sense to me. Would you like to keep the furniture in the house or have a decorator come in and make the house more 'us'?" He asked, obviously leaving the decorating up to Astoria. Her eyes looked around the room once again, biting her lip for a moment before answering.

"I think we should hire a decorator. Some of the items in the house I'm fine with but not everything. So it would just be easier for a decorator with a sense of both of our styles to come in ad fix it." Astoria said with a small nod, glancing at Draco to see a small smile on his face at her words.

Draco made the plans then, he was going to owl the correct people and buy the house, he would let Astoria know when it was officially theirs. After confirming their next meeting, that weekend for a family dinner, they bid each other goodbye, Astoria quickly apparating home. For the first time that week she arrived back home feeling confident in her decision to buy that house, and wasn't second guessing all her decisions. For the moment she was content, but she knew that would probably soon change.


	9. Chapter 9

As the weekend drew closer and closer, Astoria couldn't help but feel more and more nervous about the upcoming family dinner. It was to be at the Malfoy Manor, and if that wasn't bad enough it seemed that almost everyone would be attending. Not just her parents, but her Daphne and her husband as well as Draco's mother. While she didn't have too many issues with those who would be present, she did have a bit of an issue about where it was taking place. So much had happened at that Manor and now she was suppose to comfortably dine there? It just didn't seem that simple to Astoria. When the day of the dinner came she had tried to put her issues in the back of her mind. That didn't seem to be working, as she tried to find something to wear her mind kept trailing.

She stood in just her strapless bra and panties in her closet, looking absentmindedly at her clothes. Her thoughts were stuck on not only the previous activities at the Malfoy Manor, but Draco himself. It disgusted her to think of all the things that took place at the Malfoy Manor. Who knew who had once sat in the chair she may sit in? For all she knew they could now dead, whether it be a Death Eater or the Dark Lord himself. The thought sent a small chill down her spine. While she knew that wasn't a good way to look at things, she couldn't keep it from crossing her mind. All that had taken place in that Manor was made public knowledge during the trials following the war. So most of her worst suspicions during the war were confirmed true, as well as others she hadn't imagined could be possible. It was the smaller details that had Astoria worried.

Astoria had never had the heart to directly ask Draco about that year, especially the months near the end of the war when he was locked in the Manor. But, again, most of it was considered public knowledge. While Draco had been dismissed of all charges, the things he had faced during that time were the things of nightmares. The murders, the torturing, it was all too hard for Astoria to try and understand at times. But she highly suspected that certain things still bothered Draco, though she couldn't bring herself to ask what. What if he actually opened up and told her? Then not only would he be living with the memories but she would be living with the knowledge. At that moment Astoria doubted Draco would tell her. Why would he? They barely knew each other after all. She hoped that over time she might feel like she could ask, and actually receive an honest answer, but she didn't feel confident that time had come yet.

Astoria slightly shook her head, pulling her thoughts from Draco as she focused back upon what she was doing. After a moment she pulled down an emerald green cocktail dress. It was strapless, starting as a dark emerald green across the top and fading into black lace as the fabric progressed down to her knees. She loved the dress, the subtly of it. Deciding the dress would likely be the most appropriate she hung it on the hook on her closet door. As she took her dress off the hanger she couldn't help but be slightly thankful that at least Draco's father wouldn't be present. He was still serving time in Azkaban for his crimes during the war along with many other high profile Death Eaters. His father was her least favorite topic to think about, for she couldn't imagine what type of father would put his own son through what Draco's father did. Sure, her father had arranged a marriage for her, but at least her father didn't make her get the Dark Mark and join the Death Eaters.

A shiver ran down her spine as she slid the silk dress on, both from the coldness of the silk and the thought of joining the Death Eaters. It was certainly something she had never considered before. Astoria shook her head as she flicked her wand, causing her dress to zip itself. Stepping back she looked in her mirror, making sure the dress was lying like it should. She loved the dress because of how elegant it looked, the emerald green shifting to the black lace so seamlessly. Satisfied she headed to her shoes pulling out a pair of black pumps. After slipping them on she grabbed a black clutch on her way out of her closet. She tossed her clutch onto her bed before heading to her jewelry box on her dresser. Astoria pulled out silver chain necklace with a diamond drop pendant and a bracelet to match, putting them both on before digging out her diamond chandelier earrings to complete the set. Of course her engagement ring took care of any rings she might have worn, knowing she didn't need another ring to distract from her engagement ring.

Satisfied with her jewelry she grabbed her wand and headed into her bathroom. Standing in front of the mirror she used her wand to delicately curl her long hair into ringlets before clipping it onto the crown of her head. Finally she applied a little bit of make-up, deciding only a line of eyeliner and a quick brush of eye shadow would be enough for the evening. Since she wasn't sure how the evening was going to go she didn't want to put on too much make-up. With one last glance in the mirror she turned and left her bathroom, walking over to her bed.

She grabbed her black clutch off her bed and slipped her wand into it. Astoria paused for a moment, taking a few deep breaths before leaving the room. When she reached the bottom of the steps she wasn't surprised to find her family waiting on her in the formal living room. As soon as she walked through the doorway everyone stood up. Her mother stepped forward first, a smile upon her face, her eyes looking slightly misty. She fixed one of Astoria's curls before giving her a small nod. Her eyes glanced to her father to see a similar look upon his face, although he simply remained silent. Daphne however hurried up and gave her a brief hug, kissing her cheek before stepping back and grabbing her husbands' hand. Without anyone saying a word they walked out the front door, everyone disapparating to the Malfoy Manor. In a blink of an eye they arrived at Malfoy Manor, one right after another. Once everyone had arrived and were ready the Greengrass family started walking up the drive, the Manor seeming to loom darkly ahead of them.


	10. Chapter 10

Astoria was almost relieved to see Draco open the door. While she hadn't expected him to open the door she was glad to see a familiar face. She could tell from the look on his face that he, too, was stressed about this dinner. When they reached the door he didn't give any hint about his thoughts, instead giving them a welcoming smile before speaking.

"Welcome, come in. Dinner's almost ready, we will wait just in here." Draco said to everyone, gesturing to the parlor just inside the door.

Everyone quickly made their way into the dimly lit room, casting glances over their shoulders occasionally. There were enough shadows in the room to set everyone on edge. Judging from the looks on her families faces they were certainly more aware of their surroundings than normal. Astoria hung back slightly, letting her family walk in front of her, so she could walk with Draco.

"Is everything ok?" She asked him quietly.

"For now." He tensely replies, before turning back to the room of her family. "I'm sorry for the wait, the house elves haven't fixed this large of a meal for a while, so they are a bit frantic." Draco gave a small smile. Her parents nodded in understanding though neither of them spoke. As Draco turned back to Astoria his smile faded slightly. "Are you ok?" He asks her quietly, a slightly look of concern crossing his face.

Astoria nodded, "For now." She gave him a smirk, earning one back for the use of his words back at him. At that moment though a house elf came to the door, announcing dinner was done. Astoria looked at Draco, "Isn't your mother here?" Draco began to lead the family out of the parlor and down the hall towards the dining room, "She's probably waiting for us." He said carefully, obviously not wanting to tread that topic quiet yet. Astoria didn't say anything; instead looking over her shoulder to make sure her family was following them.

No sooner had they walked through the dining room doors then she heard someone speak. "Oh! Welcome Greengrass family! I'm pleased to have you in our home!" Astoria turned her eyes upon the speaking, seeing the familiar face of Narcissa Malfoy. While she had only seen the woman once or twice in her life her picture had been published numerous times in the Prophet during the war. It was Astoria's father who answered however, taking charge of the Greengrass family, as always.

"The pleasure is ours Narcissa! We are delighted to have been invited into your home, and even more honored given the circumstances." As her father spoke everyone made their way to their seats, Astoria being careful to sit beside Draco and her sister. Her nerves kept her mind from wandering towards the possibilities of who all had sat in that chair, instead glancing around the large room. Draco held her chair for her, causing Astoria to focus her attention back to the table. Once they had all sat down and the house elves served the first course of Split Pea Soup, Narcissa decided to speak once again.

"Oh it is given the circumstances that I am delighted that you had accepted our marriage proposal." Narcissa said, Astoria watching as Draco looked up at his mother, narrowing his eyes slightly at her. Judging from his mothers next words she noticed his look. "Don't give me that look Draco! Everyone knows that after the war you had issues you had to work through, everyone did, that's public knowledge." Draco closed his eyes at that point, as if praying for his mother to quit talking, only she didn't quit talking, she continued on, Astoria noticing there was already a half empty glass of wine on the table in front of her. "There's nothing wrong with you having to seek help after everything you were forced through dear. After the war you jumped at every noise, screamed at every shadow, hexed every bystander. It was really for everyone's own good that you sought help."

"Mother, we don't need to discuss this. My history certainly isn't the topic of this dinner." Draco finally said, cutting across his mother intake of breath, keeping her from speaking further. Astoria's eyes traveled around the table, everyone watching this exchange with different looks upon their face. Shock, anger, embarrassment. Everyone's faces seemed to show a different reaction to this revelation, everyone except Draco, who had kept his face blank and cold. Astoria was still trying to process what Narcissa had just said. Draco had been in such a bad state of mind after the war that he had to seek help. Like, mental help? Astoria wasn't sure, and she wasn't about to bring the topic up again. A bit of anger flared in her for having not known this sooner. Though she couldn't help but wonder whether that may be her fault since she hadn't asked any questions yet.

No one said anything as the next course of Fire-Roasted Steak was served. There was almost a heavy air hanging over dining room, creating an awkward silence almost all the way through dinner. Dessert was almost finished before Draco finally spoke again. "After dinner if you all would join us for a drink in the parlor, I believe my mother will explain her reasoning for dinner this evening." Narcissa nodded then, her face still wearing the same expression it had after her slight rant earlier, although her wine glass was now empty.

Once the dessert plates were taken away everyone left the dining room, heading back towards the front of the Manor to the parlor. Astoria kept her mind as blank as possible, not wanting her thoughts to wander back towards Draco. She knew the last thing she needed was to show anger, not until they had left the Manor at least. Soon everyone was sitting around the fire, a cup of tea in their hands though no one was drinking it. "Well, now, isn't this nice." Narcissa started, almost as if she was trying to break the awkward silence with essentially another awkward comment. No one spoke though, allowing Narcissa to continue speaking.

"I invited you here for a few different reasons. I wanted to get to know the family my only son was marrying into before the actual wedding arrived. I also wanted to thank you for giving our family this opportunity. Since the war ended not many families are too keen on keeping ties with us. Lastly, I wanted to offer you, Astoria, this tiara to wear on your wedding day." Astoria watched as Narcissa picked up a box off the parlor table, handing it carefully to her. She took it from her hands, setting it in her lap as she opened the aging box.

It was a beautiful tiara. Silver, with diamonds, pearls and emeralds mounted in the intricate pattern. The largest stone was dangling from a point in the middle. At that moment the last thing she wanted to think about was what she would wear to the wedding, but she couldn't just remain silent. "It's beautiful Narcissa. I would be honored to wear it." Astoria said finally, knowing she couldn't refuse the offer. Closing the lid on the box she looked up to see Narcissa smile before she spoke again.

"I wore it at my wedding, just like my mother before her and her mother before her. It was originally in the Black family, though now obviously in the Malfoy family, until you give it to your daughter to wear at her wedding." Narcissa almost seemed to choke up then, quickly taking a breath before adding. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm quite worn from this evening. Draco will see you out." And with that Astoria watched as Narcissa Malfoy left the parlor, her footsteps echoing on the stone floor in the hallway.

Draco cleared his throat then, before speaking, "I thank you all for coming this evening, though I apologize for my mothers' earlier outburst." He stood up then, doing the proper goodbye handshakes and kissing of the cheeks. Soon her family was walking out the front door and down the drive, leaving her alone with Draco for a moment. Astoria turned to him, not sure what to say, but knowing she had to say something.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Astoria asked him quietly.

Draco gave her a look, "Didn't you hear my mother, it's all public knowledge. It's just not something I want to talk about."

Astoria arched an eyebrow at him, not appreciating his cool tone of voice. "Don't give me that bull. You can't keep things like that from me. Public knowledge or not, I don't tend to believe what I read in the papers, so it's up to you to correct those rumors I hear." With that she walked out the door, tiara box in hand, without another word, leaving him standing at the door. He didn't try to stop her, much to Astoria's dismay, Astoria quickly making it to the end of the drive in time to apparate home with her family.

She didn't dwell in the foyer once she arrived home, quickly bidding her family goodnight before going up to her room, slamming her door in frustration. The last thing she wanted to deal with were questions from her parents and looks of sympathy from her sister. Astoria went into her bathroom, determining a bath would be the perfect solution for her confusing thoughts. She carefully set the tiara box on the counter before turning the hot water on, pouring some soap into it to create bubbles. Quickly she stripped her dinner clothes off before sinking into the warm water with a sigh.

Much to her dismay though she couldn't quit thinking about the earlier dinner. Astoria knew she honestly shouldn't be surprised to hear that Draco had to seek help. There were many people who spent months in St. Mungo's because they weren't able to deal with the trauma of the war. Judging from what Narcissa had said Draco had been one of those people, although obviously not able to admit it. Astoria was glad he finally did seek help if it was a severe as Narcissa had described. But why hadn't Draco told her? Now that she was alone she realized it couldn't be considered common knowledge as to why he was at St. Mungo's. That would be considered personal business and wouldn't be published, although the fact that he was there probably was published. It just frustrated her that Draco didn't feel like he needed to tell her he had to be treated for severe mental trauma after the war.

Once her water ran cold she dragged herself out of her tub, drying herself off before slipping her robe on. She vaguely considered drying her hair so it wouldn't be a wreck the next day, but that idea left her mind once she left her bathroom. As she walked to her bed she saw a piece of parchment lying on her pillow, her eyebrows furrowing at the sight. She slightly hesitated as she picked up the parchment, quickly unsealing it and reading through the message...

Astoria,  
I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just hoped my future wouldn't be affected by my past. I'll explain everything when the time's right.  
Draco

...Astoria re-read the message several times before tossing the parchment onto her nightstand and lying down upon her bed, her cat already curled up in a ball waiting for her. As she petted her Astoria realized an apology wasn't exactly what she wanted from him. What she wanted was to be trusted enough for the truth, which judging from his brief and vague letter she hadn't earned yet. As her eyes slid shut that night she wondered whether she would ever earn his trust, her stomach twisting at the thought. Would she go through her life married to someone who couldn't tell her everything? Astoria had hoped that wasn't the case, although now she wasn't so sure.


	11. Chapter 11

Astoria wished she could legally control time. While she may have hidden herself away in her room, ignoring her mothers' calls and the periodic knocks on her door, time continued on way too fast for her. Originally she had thought they had set a date far enough away for her to possibly grown use to the idea, but that hadn't managed to happen. She had known the date was coming closer and closer, the days starting to pass in a blur. Draco's owl informing her that his Best Man was going to be Blaise Zabini was enough to remind her that their wedding date was much closer than she had originally realized with her stomach turning into a knot at every reminder of the upcoming event.

Each day her sister would come over to the Manor, coming in her room and attempting to get her to participate in the final wedding planning. But Astoria just wasn't interested and wasn't willing to participate in such plans. The last thing she cared about was who set where, where the band would be set up, how the yard would be arranged. All the details were things she just didn't want to concern herself about. Why should she work towards something she didn't want? Why should she attempt to be happy when she clearly wasn't? These questions flitted through her mind as Astoria sat there, attempting to forget the one thing she couldn't forget about.

She spent most of her day pouring over the details of the marriage contract. Although the things she found in it were enough to keep her in her room even longer. They were allowed one year of marriage before they were required to try and conceive an heir. An heir must be born within two years of marriage unless there's a miscarriage. If there is a miscarriage they would be given an additional six months to grieve. After a year of marriage no forms of birth control will be allowed to increase the chances of producing an heir. This union must produce at least one heir for the family, though more is certainly welcome.

It was even detailed in the contract when the heir will receive different amounts of inheritance, as well as different experiences that must be provided for the heir during their childhood. Things such as Quidditch World Cup trips and first broom rides were detailed; even summer trips to France and Italy were listed. Astoria at least knew their families obviously wanted their heir to have a privileged childhood, enough so to list it in the marriage contract. It slightly surprised her that they had actually thought to put such things in a marriage contract. But the details concerning the heir were easier to understand than the small details about their marriage.

The small details that were covered in the contract were enough to anger Astoria further. It was such an old fashion contract, with most of the details benefitting Draco rather than her. While that wasn't unusual it was still quite frustrating to her. Why should she have to respect and honor a man who obviously doesn't do the same to her? Why should she have to spend her life raising children and supporting him when he could do the same just as easily? It was ridiculous to her to be forced into such an old fashion relationship when it obviously didn't seem to benefit either of them.

Astoria spent days in her room looking over the contract, days trying to find a loophole or an escape route. But to her dismay there weren't many options. If one of them died the contract would obviously end, or one of their parents could terminate the contract. It was even listed in infidelity could be proven the contract could be terminated, although Astoria knew that was more of a formality than an actual way out. The odds of Draco cheating on her were slim, as were the odds of her being able to prove it if it did happen. Honestly the only way to prove infidelity was if a child was produced with another woman, and Astoria doubted that would happen, and she certainly wasn't going to put her family to shame by being the one who cheated on Draco.

It was with a depressed sound of mind when Astoria laid down to sleep that night, the realization that this was her last night in this room hitting her like a ton of bricks. It would be the last night she took a bath in her bathtub, the last night she would sleep in that bed with her cat, the last night she would watch the moon shine through the window. The thought horribly saddened her. She just wasn't ready to commit her life to this man she hardly knew, to a man who couldn't even trust her enough to tell her the truth. To a man who couldn't have been bothered to stop and see her these days she had spent in her room. She was sure if he had stopped by she would've quickly been forced out of her room and down to talk to him. A sob ripped its way through her body as she finally broke into tears, her hand on her cat sleeping beside her as she tried to keep the tears from falling fast upon her pillow, attempting reason with herself.

She had looked through the contract and there were no easy ways out, no alternative. Astoria would go through with this wedding whether she wanted to or not. She knew tears weren't going to help anything. Tears were only going to make her more frustrated and angered about her situation. Astoria furiously wiped the tears from her face, wiping her eyes dry of the wretched tears. She was determining herself to go through the next day as confident and bold as she was raised, to make her family proud. If Draco couldn't trust her enough then she was going to stand on her own, and spend her life supporting her own emotions and life. After what seemed like hours but was likely only minutes, Astoria drifted off into an uneasy sleep, tossing and turning as her dreams echoed her reality.


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning came with a bang, literally, Astoria shooting up in bed when her bedroom door slammed open.

"Up! Get up!"

It took a moment for her to register who it was speaking to her, her eyes still blurry with sleep as they tried to focus in the dimly lit room. But when her window drapes opened and let the light in she realized it was her sister standing at the end of her bed looking at her, the look of impatience obvious upon her face. Before Astoria could even say anything Daphne spoke, her tone telling her she meant business.

"Get up Astoria! We have so much to do and only a little time to do it." Astoria watched as Daphne walked around the bed to stand beside it, looking almost ready to pull her out of bed if Astoria didn't move. "Jeez! Did you get any sleep?" Daphne asked, sighing in slight annoyance before turning and walking towards the door, "Get up and showered, I'll be back in 30 minutes so hurry!" She said as she walked out her door, slamming it shut in her wake.

Astoria groaned and flopped back down into bed. It just couldn't be possible; it couldn't be that day yet. She had dreaded this day for the past two months and now here it was, and she couldn't do a thing about it. Astoria knew she had things she had to do, her family to represent, but she couldn't find that important at the moment. Shouldn't it be important for her to savor these last moments of peace? These last moments she'll have alone? She felt like her life was going to end, being stuck spending it with someone who couldn't trust her. Didn't that mean her life was ending in some way? Astoria sighed before slowly sitting up, scooting herself to the edge of her bed.

No, she hadn't gotten much sleep the night before; her sister had been right on that fact. Between her thoughts keeping her awake and her nightmares interrupting her drams sleep had been rather elusive for her. But Astoria knew Daphne could do wonders with make-up and hair so she wasn't too worried. She slowly stood up and stumbled to her bathroom, knowing her sister was serious when she said she only had 30 minutes. Soon she was standing beneath the warm water, her mind concentrating on the simple things; washing her hair, shaving, washing away her worries. Too soon though she was shutting the water off and stepping out of the warm shower. She was in the process of drying off when her sister burst back into the room.

"Good, at least you listened to me." Daphne said when she saw Astoria, before walking over to the counter. "Finish drying and put on your robe, then sit." Daphne said, pointing to Astoria's robe before pointing to the chair she had magically produced there before turning back to the counter and cabinets. With a sad sigh Astoria finished drying as she listened to different items being placed upon her counter, sliding on her robe before sitting reluctantly in the chair Daphne was standing behind. Astoria retreated into her thoughts as Daphne spent the next hours on her, neither of them saying a word.

Daphne seamlessly moved from one thing to another, her mind seeming to be focused on the task at hand instead of creating any form of small talk. Astoria watched in the mirror as Daphne used her wand to curl her hair into ringlets before pinning them up into an elegant cascade down her back. Her eyebrows were soon plucked creating that perfect arch without any effort from her. Daphne ended standing in front of Astoria, make-up in hand as everything from blush to eye line to eye shadow to powder was applied to Astoria's face. When Daphne finally stepped away and Astoria could look at herself properly she couldn't believe the sight. She had to admit her sister certainly knew what she was doing, for Astoria's previous night of crying and lack of sleep weren't anywhere to be seen on her face.

"Now, do you think you can manage to get dressed while I go get dressed?" Daphne asked, Astoria looking up through the mirror to see Daphne hanging up the bag on the back of the door before walking out of the bathroom without waiting for an answer. Astoria listened as she heard her bedroom door close, leaving her alone for the first time in hours. She took a deep breath as she stood up, looking over the items on the counter. At the end of the counter she spotted the lingerie her sister had set out for her to wear. The pure white corset and matching lace panty sticking out on her dark counter top. Astoria debated whether she should wear it or not, before deciding it may be best to wear what her sister had set out for her.

With a sigh she slipped her robe off and onto her chair before taking the few steps to the items. Easily she slipped the panty on before holding the corset up to her chest and reaching for her wand. With a few flicks the corset started to tighten itself, Astoria soon standing straight as the corset cinched her waist in and pushed her breasts up, the tightness enough to push a gasp from her before it tightened another inch her gasp had revealed. She didn't look at herself in the mirror, knowing she probably wouldn't be able to stand the sight at that moment. Taking as deep of a breath as she could she turned away from the mirror, walking slowly over to the hanging bag.

Carefully Astoria unzipped the bag, her white dress revealing itself with each inch. Once the bag was fully unzipped Astoria slipped it off, leaving only her dress hanging there in front of her. As she slipped the dress off its hanger she couldn't help but admire how beautiful of a dress it was. The strapless bodice corseting in the back, the tulle billowing out where her hips would be, even a layer of silver tulle laid beneath the white, giving it a shimmer in the right light. It really was a gorgeous dress, Astoria thankful that at least her sister knew what style she would like since Astoria never gave an opinion on it.

Cautiously Astoria undid the corset, stepping into the dress before pulling it up. She grabbed her wand off the counter again, giving it a quick flick like she had moments earlier to corset the back, pulling it tight. If she hadn't already had a corset on the dress wouldn't been horribly tight, but already having one on made the dress more bearable. The corset of the dress didn't loosen though, Astoria knowing it wouldn't loosen because that wasn't how it was meant to be. As she looked into the mirror she held her breath, the lace bodice corset giving her the perfect hourglass figure, the tulle doing exactly what it should and billowing down from her waist to her feet. Astoria was still looking at her reflection when Daphne walked back in, the short, emerald green bridesmaid dress looking magnificent on her.

Daphne gasped when she saw Astoria, a small smile coming to her face as she took a few more steps forward. Neither of them said a word as Daphne carefully helped Astoria balance as she put on her shoes, not able to easily sit down and put them on herself with the corset. Once Astoria was stable on her own two feet Daphne walked over to the counter, opening a worn box, Astoria remembering what was in it just before Daphne pulled it out. Soon Daphne was standing in front of her, placing the Malfoy tiara on the top of her head, nestling the back into her curled ringlets.

"There," Daphne said softly, "perfect. Now just put a smile on your face and you'll be perfect." She saw a look of sympathy flit across her sisters' face, Astoria remembering then that her sister was in an arranged marriage too. A bit of guilt about the way Astoria had been acting flitted through her. She certainly didn't remember Daphne acting the way she had during the days leading up to her wedding. Astoria slowly sighed, looking down in shame for a moment before looking back up at Daphne.

"I don't think I can do this Daphne." Astoria said softly, her voice cracking at the end.

"Sush Astoria, you have to do this. You'll be fine. Everyone's waiting down stairs and soon enough it will be the reception than you'll be off for your honeymoon." Daphne said, grabbing Astoria's hands as she spoke. "I know what you're going through; I know what you're thinking. I know it's not fair, but it gets better, you just have to smile through this show and it will get better from here." Daphne sighed then, dropping her sisters' hands before adding, "We should get down there, everyone's outside now so the downstairs is empty. No one will see you."

Without further words the two sisters walked arm-in-arm out of Astoria's bathroom and out her bedroom, walking down the stairs and into the foyer. As they walked silently through the house Astoria could hear a slight murmur of voices coming through the open windows from the backyard, Astoria's nerves skyrocketing at that moment. She couldn't help but to suck her stomach in and stand up straight, even though the corset was doing that for her anyway making her attempt a pointless one. Once they made their way through the manor and was standing in the back room Daphne left Astoria standing there alone for a moment, walking to the doorway to signal to the band they were ready.

With a small gasp Astoria heard the music start playing, the music covering up the previous murmur of voices. Daphne looked at Astoria, handing her a bouquet of white lilies and green daisies and silver roses before speaking.

"Breath Astoria, you'll do fine, just concentrate on your steps and concentrate on Draco. Believe it or not he'll help your path down the aisle. Now once I step through the door wait 16 counts before you round the corner and step out, I should be up the aisle by that time so you'll have all the attention on you. Just remember to smile and breath, it will be over before you know it." Daphne said this all as calmly as she could before giving Astoria a brief kiss on the cheek.

Astoria watched as her sister walked in front of the door and stepped out into the sunlight, barely giving her a chance to remember to count the sixteen counts. Astoria didn't feel ready for this, her breathing wasn't calm, her stomach was a mess, and she just knew she was going to trip down the aisle with everyone watching her fall. But Astoria's feet, or her common sense, seemed to override what she was feeling. Her sixteen counts were soon over and she was standing in front of the door, stepping out into the spotlight. As everyone turned to look at her Astoria followed Daphne's advice and concentrated her gaze upon Draco.


	13. Chapter 13

Astoria wanted to slump into her chair she was so relieved, but with the look in her fathers' eyes she remained sitting straight in her chair, her back not even touching the back of the chair. She tried to tell herself the hardest part was over. She was dressed, had walked down the aisle, and said her vows. She had even remained standing during the ceremony that seemed to drag on for hours. In reality though the ceremony was a rather short one, Astoria suspecting she had her sister to thank for that. Once she had successfully recited her vows it was over, with a kiss to end the ceremony as doves flew into the air from behind them. Astoria had thought that kiss was suppose to be a special one, but all she felt at that moment was a sense of numbness, with a hint of relief.

Within a blink of an eye the guests had stood, the chairs had vanished, a dozen or more tables replacing them. That was where Astoria was currently sitting, at the head table, within eyesight of everyone attending. She certainly hoped everything would only get easier from that point. That was what she tried to tell herself as she sat there beside Draco. The hardest part had to be over. Everything from that point on surely had to be easier than the ceremony had been. But her thoughts weren't even able to sound convincing enough to put a real smile on her face.

Instead her smile remained a forced one as everyone proceeded to sit down at their own tables, each of them seeming to fight for the best spot, as if there was one. Once everyone sat down the house elves would serve dinner, a dinner with more courses than there should be. How she would manage to sit there throughout the meal she wasn't sure. But Astoria didn't let herself dwell on that thought though, instead she turned to look at Draco as he said the first private words they've had the whole evening to her.

"You look beautiful Astoria."

Astoria kept her fake smile on her face, hoping that it looked real enough for Draco to believe it was real, as she responded, "Thank you Draco. You look rather handsome yourself."

She turned her eyes back towards the other tables as the house elves started pouring onto the floor to serve the first course. Astoria managed to keep herself busy the rest of the courses, between toasts and speeches and eating she was able to not speak to Draco again. Both her sister and Blaise gave speeches, Astoria feeling her eyes water at the words but she kept from crying, knowing her sister would march over and hurt her for doing something so stupid like messing up her make-up. But much too soon her and Draco were being asked to stand up, the tables being cleared from the floor for the band to take its place. It wasn't long before the band was set up and ready to play, all eyes upon the couple once more.

The butterflies returned to Astoria stomach, the dreadful thought of tripping on the dance floor enough to strike fear through her. Perhaps she had been a bit too hopeful in the thought that the worst part was over. But Draco confidently kept a hand on her lower back, guiding her to the dance floor. Astoria watched as the guests seemed to make a circle around them, everyone holding wide smiles, everyone but her. She just couldn't keep the smile on her face at that point, Astoria too busy concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other.

It wasn't long though before Draco had stopped, taking a step in front of her before placing a hand on her waist and grabbing her hand. Astoria gladly let him take the lead, following him as they slowly danced around the dance floor, the flash of the photographer being the only other thing she noticed. She concentrated on her steps so much that by the time she looked straight at Draco there were other couples on the floor, pushing away some of the butterflies in her stomach. Astoria just wasn't fond of being the center of attention, so the sight of Daphne and her husband dancing, and even Blaise and Pansy dancing near the back, was a great thing for her to see at that moment.

The song couldn't end soon enough, Astoria quickly and gracefully smiling before walking over to one of the chairs at the side of the floor. Draco dutifully followed her, sitting beside her. Astoria's corset kept her from relaxing into the chair, but she was still relieved to be off her feet for just a moment. She just couldn't wait for the evening to be over, but then they would be heading to their honeymoon, which was something Astoria was trying not to think about at that moment. How could she be eager for one thing to end when what was waiting was something else she didn't want to happen? Astoria kept her face blank as the thought passed through her mind, knowing she had no real control over the rest of the evening.

Draco seemed to either feel the same or the complete opposite, his next words being able to be taken in many different ways. "Do you want to try and cut out of here early? I'm sure everyone would understand if you do." He said this quietly, Astoria almost having to strain to hear him.

She considered his words for a moment, her desire to leave and her desire to not go on a honeymoon battling within her. Eventually she sighed before saying, "I don't think it would be tactful to ditch our reception."

Draco didn't say anything back, accepting Astoria's decision without a word. She looked back over the dance floor, her evening seeming to stretch out in front of her endlessly. Already she was slightly regretting not taking Draco up on his suggestion, but at that moment the next song ended and a cloud of guests seemed to descended upon them. They spent the rest of the evening talking with well wishers, everyone offering advice and confidence. It was with a true sigh of relief when Draco lead her through the house, the noise seeming to come from all around her. Not long later they were walking down the front drive with guests all around them, and into a horse and carriage waiting at the end, their things already in the back of the carriage for them. Whether Astoria was ready for it or not the carriage would to take them to their honeymoon.


	14. Chapter 14

Astoria sighed as she leaned (as best as she could) against the back of the carriage, her family and friends already miles behind her. She didn't even look at Draco, instead concentrating on the carriage itself. It was a black, enclosed horse-drawn carriage, the gentle click clack of the horses the only sound she heard. Astoria was aware it was a magical carriage, traveling across a large distance in a short amount of time. It was a lot cleaner than the Floo Network, and a lot safer than Apparating to their destination since it was so far away. So she knew that in a short amount of time they would be pulling in front of their honeymoon destination, and Italian beach house.

That had been one of the few requests Astoria had made, wanting a tropical honeymoon to escape the temperamental weather in London. Since she hadn't participated in anything else concerned the wedding her request was granted. Everyone had been pleased to set up her requested honeymoon, finding a relative who owned the vacation home in Italy who was more than willing to allow them to use it. As Astoria looked out the carriage window she saw the swirling of clouds, able to feel the magic around them as they were pulled away from their wedding day. Under normal circumstances she would be glad such a large event was over. But the fact she would be spending the upcoming days alone with Draco was enough to cause knots in her stomach.

She let out a large sigh as she tried to relax against the back of the seat, the corset it making it practically impossible to do so. Astoria wanted to curse the dress at that moment, regardless of how beautiful it may be. She knew she looked amazing in it, and that the pictures would be beautiful, but she hoped to never wear something so constricting again. Regardless of how many high society events they may have to attend no one would ever be able to convince her to wear a corset again. Astoria knew she was skinny enough without the help of a corset, even though it was almost required with the cut of her wedding dress. She didn't say any of that though as she continued to sit rigidly upright, looking out the carriage window to avoid looking at Draco.

The topic of Draco was something Astoria wasn't ready to think about. If he couldn't trust her enough to talk to her about the past than how could she trust him? Why should she try to make this forced marriage work if it seemed only one sided? Astoria scowled out the window as her thoughts swirled like the clouds she was looking at. She knows she has no choice concerning this marriage. She will fulfill the terms of that damn contract and live up to her family name as well as her new family name, but she certainly wasn't going to be the open and happy wife that everyone imagined, that she had always imagined.

She shivered at the thought of her being a wife, not wanting to accept that term. But she was a wife, she was the wife of Draco Malfoy, and she couldn't change that regardless of what she did. She would be required to be devoted and faithful, to carry at least two Malfoy heirs, to stay home and raise them while Draco was at work. Astoria slightly shook her head at her thoughts, noticing then the swirling of the clouds started to slow down slightly. She wanted to sigh in relief but she wasn't sure if it was relief. Yes, she would be out of that carriage, and yes she would be away from the spotlight of the wedding. But it wasn't likely to be a relaxing honeymoon considering she would be spending it with Draco who she still felt like she hardly knew.

Those thoughts were pushed away though when the clouds finally cleared, revealing a sandy road with a row of houses, the view of the beach just visible behind them. Her eyes darted between the houses, trying to figure out which one they would be stopping at. They didn't travel far down the road before that was answered for her, the horses stopping in front of a large and private beach home. Quickly she took in the house, fenced in with a sandy path to the front door. The house looked to be a shade of blue, at least two stories high, possibly three. The sight looked beautiful to Astoria, the fact that it was on a beach a plus for her. Astoria sighed in relief at the sight, ready to get the dress off. Turning she waited for Draco to climb out of the carriage, letting him help her down the few little steps and onto the pavement. Astoria released his hand then, walking up the main walk of the home, carefully holding her dress up away from the sandy ground.

She heard Draco walk past her to open the door for her, standing back to let Astoria walk into the home. Once she was in the home she released her dress, hearing it brush the hard wood floors. It was as beautiful inside as it looked outside, the large area a combination of the kitchen, dining room, and living room, the back wall full of windows including a sliding door that lead to a deck. They had walked into the dining room, the kitchen to her left, with stairs between the kitchen and the living room beyond it. She turned to Draco then, "I'm going to go change, and get out of this dress." Astoria said briefly, before carefully towards the stairs. On the way she passed a second bath at the bottom of the stairs, but she focused upon what was at the top.

Astoria was relieved to see there were two bedrooms and a large bathroom and quickly made her way into the large bedroom, smiling to see her suitcase sitting on the bed. She dug out her wand, quickly flicking it to release the ties of her dress and finally the ties of her tight corset. Astoria sighed in relief, loving the feeling of the dress sliding down and onto the floor, leaving Astoria standing in her black and white lace lingerie in the bedroom. Absentmindedly she reaffirmed the fact in her mind that she would never wear a corset again as she flicked her wand, sending her dress up to hang in the open closet. Once it was securely hanging she turned to her bed, opening her suitcase with the intention to change into something more comfortable. As she stood there looking at the clothes that were packed for her she heard a sound behind her, turning to see Draco standing in the doorway.

Astoria's eyes widened before narrowing. She crossed her arms across her chest as she looked at Draco, who had the sense to look sheepishly towards the floor. No words came to her mind at that moment. She wanted to curse him, to hex him, to ignore him, but instead she just stood there. Obviously she couldn't do any of the things that came to her mind first. They were now married after all. Anything she did could be against the contract for all she knew. So Astoria stood there, waiting for Draco to break the silence that had fallen between them. Soon enough Draco cleared his throat, seeming to have thought of what to say first.

"I was just wondering if you needed help with the back of your dress, but I can see that you took care of that." Draco's voice seemed to be weighing each word carefully, as if not sure whether his help was welcome or not. Astoria tried not to think too much about what the tone of his voice held, sure it was more than what was obvious. Was that just caution? Or perhaps it was hiding something more. In the back of her mind she thought she heard a bit of heat behind his words. Regardless of how he tried to steady his words Astoria could still detect how the sight of her in her lingerie had affected him. Astoria ignored it though, focusing upon his eyes instead, realizing too late that was a mistake, the lust obvious in his eyes.

She arched an eyebrow at him before saying, "It's called I have a wand, one flick took care of that for me. Thanks for your concern though." Astoria hoped she sounded cold, or uncaring. Regardless of what his eyes and tone didn't say she was determined to only address what Draco had said out loud. After all, she had just married a man she doesn't love, and now she's stuck at a honeymoon she wanted no part in, so why should she let a lusty look affect her now? Astoria slightly shook her head, trying to clear it before speaking once more.

"Now if you don't mind I would like to change clothes. I would suggest you do the same though that's completely up to you." Astoria said before turning her back on Draco and looking back to her bag. Draco said a quick, "Right, sorry." before departing the room, Astoria listening to his footsteps fading away from the room presumably to the other bedroom in the house. With a sigh she turned and sat on the bed beside her bag. Resting her elbows on her knees she placed her head in her hands, rubbing her eyes.

She just wasn't sure what to do. Sleep sounded amazing at that moment, but she knew her mind wouldn't allow her to drift into a blissful sleep just yet. There were still too many things she had to take care of first. So instead she turned towards her bag, pulling out a pair of loose lounge pants and a tank top, quickly changing into the more comfortable clothing. Astoria grabbed her wand off the bed, twirling it around her hair to remove the remained decorations from the wedding. Finally she used her wand to pull her hair into a loose but, sticking her wand into her waistband of her lounge pants. Satisfied she quietly walked towards the door, opening it slowly to look out into the hall.

Relieved to find it empty Astoria opened the door the rest of the way, walking out of the room and down the stairs into an empty living room. While she was surprised to find the downstairs empty as well she didn't pause as she continued to walk towards the back windows. After a moment she found the sliding door she had seen earlier and opened it, walking out into the warm, salty air. After a glance to the ocean Astoria spotted a few chairs on the small deck, quietly walking over to one and sitting down, pulling her knees up to her chest as she looked out towards the water.

It was a relieving feeling to have the air blow through her hair, her bun holding it securely in place. Part of her was vaguely curious where Draco was. Had he taken her advice and went to change? Or had he simply decided to go to sleep early? Astoria was curious, but couldn't bring herself to go and try and find out. She has practically told him to go away earlier so it would probably be best if she didn't try to find him. At that moment she was more content to just sit there, looking out towards the black water. The silence around her didn't last long though when she heard the sound of the sliding door opening behind her.

She wanted to sigh, one of her previous questions having been answered. But she didn't do anything, didn't even move as she listened to his footsteps on the deck, hearing him sit in the chair beside her. Astoria didn't even turn her head to acknowledge him, keeping her eyes focused on the horizon. If her mother had been there she would've been scolded for her rudeness. In Astoria's opinion they were married now, she didn't have to play the game any longer. She heard him sigh, almost as if he both wanted to speak and didn't want to. Astoria didn't turn her eyes to him though, waiting for him to speak if he really wanted to.

They didn't sit in silence much longer before she heard him take a breath before speaking, "Is there something wrong? Did something happen earlier that I didn't see?" She could hear how unsure he sounded, unsure about exactly what though she wasn't sure. It was Astoria though who was unsure. Unsure whether Draco really cared, or if he was asking because he felt obligated. She didn't try to figure that out though, instead trying to determine what to tell him. Astoria sighed before speaking, "Nothing happened earlier, everything went fine." She tried to sound reassuring but she wasn't sure she pulled that off, his next words confirming that she had not sounded too convincing.

"Ok, I can tell something is wrong. It's written on your face." Draco said, Astoria able to hear the smirk in his voice. She scowled towards the water before snapping, "Nothing is wrong, don't worry about it." Astoria quickly stood up, looking at Draco for the first time. She knew what was supposed to happen that night, the consummation of their marriage had even written in their contract, but Astoria couldn't bring herself to even bring it up, and judging from the look on Draco's face he wasn't sure whether to bring it up either. Astoria took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself and the butterflies that had decided to take over her stomach once again.

She noticed then he had changed, opting for a pair of lounge pants, not bothering with a shirt. Unwillingly her eyes traveled over his chest, the muscles sculpted from the years of Quidditch. Astoria sighed as she brought a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose, trying to rid the sight from her mind's eye. She really wanted nothing to do with this, but if she didn't she would break the contract, which would be more harmful than just obeying it. Breaking it would bring her family to shame, which is something she wasn't willing to do. Any other girl would be jumping for joy at this opportunity, but Astoria was just trying not to overreact at the thought. After a moment Astoria brought her hand back down, crossing her arms across her chest as she looked at Draco.

"So, shall we, uh, go to bed?" Astoria asked quietly, not making direct eye contact with Draco as she spoke. She didn't want to completely outright say what they were going to do, the thought causing her to blush. Astoria tried not to think about what was to come as she waited for Draco to respond, her mind wanting to work overtime on what was about to happen even as she tried to stop thinking about it. Eventually Draco cleared his throat before speaking, "If you're ready to go to bed then I am." Astoria looked at him then, noticing how uncomfortable he also looked.

That managed to calm her nerves slightly. At least she wasn't the only one uncomfortable with the prospect. Astoria took a deep breath before saying, "As ready as I'll ever be I guess." She turned her eyes away from him then, walking towards the door and into the house. Astoria heard Draco following her, closing the door behind him. She led the way up the stairs, towards the bedroom, towards the second part of her marriage contract, her face set in a determined look as she tried not to think about what she was going to do. This was supposed to be an act of love, but all Astoria felt was that it was a requirement that had to be done.


	15. Chapter 15

Her mind was blank as she lay there, facing the wall, as close to the edge of the bed as she could without falling off. Astoria had made sure she didn't think, knowing that over thinking what she had done would've made it even worse for her. After what had felt like eternity it was over, Astoria having hurried to the bathroom, making her mind move forward instead of thinking about what had happened. A shower was what she had set her mind to, not thinking about why she wanted a shower, only that she needed one.

While she had hoped the hot water would be soothing it seemed to be the complete opposite. The hot water only intensifying the pain she had been trying to forget about. She dealt with it though, making sure no traces of her evening remained before shutting the water off. Astoria had been relieved to find the bedroom empty when she opened the door. So while she had the whole bed to herself she chose to remain on the edge, the spot of her pain behind her. If she had it her way she would move to a different bedroom, but she knew the other bedroom was where he was, so that certainly wasn't an option.

No, she would have to remain in that room, in that bed, likely not sleeping the rest of the night. How could she sleep? After what had happened that day, and what had happened earlier, sleep was about the furthest thing from her mind at that moment. It was her wedding day, she should be happy, enjoying her time alone with her new husband. But instead she was curled up in a ball, the small throb of pain, a result of her earlier actions, and an annoyance to her at that moment. Why did she have to be reminded of it? Why couldn't she just forget about it? Push it to the back of her mind until she was required to do it again, as written in the contract. That moment was a year away, so why could she forget about it until then?

Because that wasn't how it seemed worked. It should be something she would want to think about, an intimacy she should want to experience again. But no, instead she simply wanted to burn it from her mind, her attempts at not thinking about it not working any longer. Astoria let out a small sigh, wanting to both get out of bed and to pull the blanket over her head. Instead she slowly moved to sit up, wincing slightly as she stood up, her reminder still not letting her forget. She slowly walked to the end of the bed, grabbing her robe that was laying there and pulling it on, the smooth silk brushing her bare shoulders to send a small shiver down her spine.

When the robe was securely tied shut she put her wand in the pocket of the robe before walking to the door and slowly opening it. The house was dark, something she had been hoping for. Slowly she crept out into the hall and down the stairs, flicking her wand at a small light in the kitchen to illuminate the small section of the room. Astoria started searching through the cabinets then, hoping to find a sleeping potion somewhere. Finally, in the cabinet closest to the sink, she found a few vials, some empty and some filled. A small smile came to her face when she spotted the one that said 'Sleeping Draught,' putting it in her robe pocket before closing the cabinet door.

When she turned to go back to her room she was surprised to see Draco standing on the other side of the island. Astoria wasn't sure if Draco had been standing there the whole time and she missed it, or if her rummaging through the cabinets had led him to investigate the noise. Either way her surprise must've shown on her face since she hadn't had time to hide it. Draco didn't acknowledge it though, instead furrowing his eyebrows slightly before speaking.

"Are you ok?" Draco asked softly, Astoria not completely sure what he was referencing to with his question. She supposed she was ok, especially since she hadn't thought to pull out a mild pain potion for her small throb of a reminder. No, she just wanted to sleep, something that her constantly thinking mind wouldn't let her do that easily. So after a moment she gave a small shrug, crossing her arms over her chest before answering.

"I'm fine. Just trying to sleep." Astoria couldn't help but answer in short phrases, afraid if she started speaking she just wouldn't stop. Instead of keeping the attention on her she diverted it to him, hoping that would distract him from her. "I figured you would be asleep by now." Her comment earned a shrug in return, Astoria not surprised that he decided to respond the same way she had. She hadn't expected a real explanation from him, Astoria taking a few steps towards the stairs before he finally spoke.

"I couldn't sleep. Too concerned about other things I suppose." He said quietly. His words had been enough for Astoria to stop in her tracks, turning slowly before leaning against the doorway between the kitchen and the stairs. "Well if any of your concerns are about me you can forget about them. I'm fine." Astoria said, not meaning for her voice to sound cold but sure that it probably did. She let out a small, slow sigh before adding, "There's another sleeping draught in that cabinet. Might help you sleep without your thoughts keeping you awake."

A small, wry smile came to her face as her words, completely able to understand why he couldn't sleep. Obviously Draco knew that she understood since he too smirked, though it was much briefer than what hers had been. When he didn't speak she decided to say, "I plan on sleeping in tomorrow morning. So if you plan on making plans, plan it for the afternoon." That earned a small nod from Draco, Astoria nodding in return before turning and walking slowly up the stairs. When she had finally closed the bedroom door behind her she let out another sigh, slightly shaking her head as she walked over to the bed.

After draping her robe over the bench at the end of the bed she drained her potion vial, setting the empty vial on the table beside the bed before crawling under the covers. Astoria was quickly able to feel the effects of the potion begin, her thoughts drifting off before sleep finally taking control.

The next morning came almost too soon, Astoria waking up without any of the drowsiness she normally enjoyed in the morning. She knew that was due to the sleeping potion she had taken, having allowed her to sleep easily and dreamlessly but also making her wake up right when the effects of the potion wore off. Slowly she turned onto her back, looking towards the ceiling. She wasn't sure yet whether she wanted to get out of bed, figuring she would determine that after she looked at the time. First though she stretched her legs out, letting out a sigh of relief when there was no more pain, just a bit of soreness like when she would hit her hip on the corner of her desk.

She blinked at the ceiling a few times, knowing she had no choice really but to get out of bed, regardless of what the time may be. Astoria slowly sat up, swinging her legs over the edge to see the time. Her eyes widened when she saw it was almost noon, not able to believe she had slept in that late. As she stood up she wondered if perhaps it wasn't the potion that kept her asleep so long or if she actually needed the sleep. Slightly shaking her head she walked over to the closet, opening it to see an assortment of her clothes hanging there.

After a moment she pulled out a pair of lace print black leggings and a dark, blood red tunic. Astoria took those and her under garments into the bathroom, quickly freshening up and changing into the clothes. It was one of the most comfortable and fashionable clothes she could find at that moment, both of which is something she preferred. After applying a ring of black eyeliner she walked back into the bedroom and back to the closet, pulling out a thick black belt and her black lace flats. She tossed both onto the bed as she walked to her nightstand and grabbed her wand, heading back to the bathroom to fix her hair.

Moments later her hair was done, soft ringlet curls draping down her back. She had done that spell for so long she knew she could probably do it in her sleep. Satisfied Astoria walked into the bedroom, putting the belt around her waist and slipping the shoes on her feet. As an afterthought she quickly found her black clutch, tucking her wand into it for the time being before leaving the bedroom, her mind now turning toward food now that she was done getting dressed.

Astoria was hoping that Draco was still asleep, or doing something else in the house, not sure if she could deal with him at the moment. When she entered the kitchen though she found it empty, double checking that it was empty after him surprising her the previous night. Satisfied she tossed her clutch onto the end of island counter before heading to the fridge, opening it to find something to eat. After a moment she pulled out a tray of cut vegetables and some sliced ham wrapped in paper. As she turned around to set them on the island she gasped, surprised to see Draco standing on the other side of the island.

With a small sigh she said, "Draco!" Setting the items in her hand down before looking at him, "You really need to say something next time. I'm tired of turning around and seeing you." Astoria said with a small shake of her head, walking over to grab the bread off the counter. Finally she grabbed a plate out of the cabinet, setting them both next to the vegetables and meat. As she pulled a couple pieces of bread out and set them onto the plate she glanced up at Draco, biting her tongue for a moment before asking, "Have you ate?"

She looked back down at what she was doing when he said, "Yes I have." Personally Astoria was glad that she didn't have to fix him food too, not wanting that horrible expectation to begin. As she put some sliced ham onto her bread Draco spoke again, Astoria still not looking up at him. "How did you sleep?" His question caused her to smirk before answering, "I slept perfectly. It's amazing how a potion will do that to you." Astoria glanced up to see Draco smirk at that, Astoria putting the rest of the meat in the fridge before speaking.

"How did you sleep?" Astoria was used to carrying on these simple pleasantries, having grown up with it. She pushed her sandwich to the other side of the island before walking around to sit on one of the stools, Draco still standing beside the other stool. As she sat down she pulled the tray of vegetables towards her, picking up a carrot when Draco answered her. "I slept fine. Potions do help get rid of those thoughts running through your head." Astoria saw him smirk out of the corner of her eye, causing Astoria to smile softly too.

She took a bite of her sandwich, debating whether to carry on a conversation with him or to just sit in silence for the time being. Astoria didn't get the chance to decide that though, Draco soon breaking the silence. "I didn't make plans. I figured it would probably be best to get your opinion about that." She slightly stiffened as Draco pulled out the stool next to her, shifting it to the side slightly before sitting in it. Astoria picked up a piece of broccoli before commenting, "Well there is quite a bit to do around here. There's the beach, and just down the road should be a small shopping square." Astoria shrugged before placing the broccoli into her mouth.

"As long as we don't have to travel too far I don't mind what we do." She said once her mouth wasn't full, continuing to eat her sandwich in silence them. Astoria certainly didn't want to travel anywhere, at least not that day, otherwise she wasn't too concerned about what they did, honestly perfectly content with staying in the beach house the whole day. She didn't say that though, instead simply finishing her sandwich as she ate a few more vegetables. Soon her plate was empty, Astoria sitting there staring at it for a moment before pushing it away.

Before she could convince herself to take her plate to the sink Draco stood up, picking up her plate and walking around the counter, setting it gently in the sink. When he turned around he spoke, "Well we could always see what all is down at the square. Then if we are still there around dinner time we could eat at one of the restaurants." Draco shrugged before adding, "I think the beach is always better in the evening anyway." He gave her a small smirk, "Are you done with the vegetables?" He asked, gesturing towards the tray.

Astoria simply nodded, watching Draco put the tray away before turning back to her. "Does that sound okay? Or is there something else you had in mind?" He asked, obviously wanting to make sure Astoria agreed with the plans before continuing on with them. Astoria looked at him for a moment, completely at a loss of what to say at that moment. This man couldn't trust her enough to tell her everything, which had been proven to her already, and yet she had to marry him, having had no choice in the matter. Now she was supposed to be around him? Go out and do things with him? Wasn't marrying him enough?

She knew the answer to that though. Obviously being a good wife would include such things, regardless of whether she wanted to or not. So with a small sigh she stood up, walking around to the cabinet to pull out a glass filling it up with water before responding, "That sounds fine. It's not like there's much else to do around the house anyway." Astoria took a drink of water then, more to have something to do other than carrying on a conversation with Draco. She watched him slowly nod, Astoria setting her half full glass of water upon the counter before looking back at Draco.

"Well I'm ready if you are. Since you've already ate, and obviously already dressed." Astoria commented, noticing his typical blue jean and long sleeve button up shirt ensemble. She reached for her clutch on the island then, hearing Draco reply, "Yes, I'm ready as long as you are." He gestured for her to take the lead, Astoria taking a deep, calming breath before walking towards the door, not sure if she could survive a day with Draco.


	16. Chapter 16

The pace down to the square was a slow one, both the warmth of the sun and her company not motivating Astoria to walk any faster than she currently was. She wasn't in any hurry to get back to the beach house since it would mean she would be alone with Draco once again. Luckily for her though the square wasn't too far down the street, and soon they were crossing the street to the front of the fountain, the soft tinkling of water seeming to blend perfectly with the murmurs of conversation from those around them. She didn't look at them though, instead stopping just in front of the fountain and looking at Draco beside her.

"Is there any place in particular you would like to look first?" Astoria asked, glancing around to see a wide assortment of shops, each selling something different than the one beside it. As she glanced around the square she saw Draco do the same. When her gaze focused upon him once again he decided to speak.

"I don't mind where we start, as long as we look in that shop before we head back." Draco said with a nod towards a shop on the end. Astoria's eye followed his nod to see a small nautical shop, a few baskets of sea shells and star fish sitting outside its' door. She gave a small smirk before nodding, able to agree with that at least. You couldn't go to a beach town without making a trip into such a shop. She didn't start there though, instead heading towards the opposite corner though, avoiding the jewelry shop as she instead opened the door into a small antique shop.

As she walked towards a tall armoire just inside the door she glanced at Draco, seeing him still in the doorway. "You don't have to shop with me if you don't want to. I know too well how much men can't stand shopping." She suggested with a small smile, hoping he would be willing to let her shop alone so she could escape him for a little bit that day. Sadly he simply gave a small chuckle before shaking his head.

"And let you carry everything you buy? What kind of person do you take me for?" Draco asked, a smirk still upon his face from his laugh.

"One that doesn't shop." Astoria popped off before she could stop herself, her hand moving to cover her mouth while a slight blush crept over her cheeks. "Sorry." She said softly, turning away from Draco to open the armoire.

"You don't need to apologize. You're right, I don't shop." Draco said softly, "The last time I shopped was for a specific cabinet a few years back." He added, Astoria thinking he sounded a bit sour about that fact. As she thought upon his words though she realized what he was referring to, her eyes widening as she quickly looked his way. Draco seemed to decide to ignore that however, Astoria able to assume that from his next words. "I think I will go buy a cup of tea. Would you like something?" Draco asked, her eyes still focused upon him.

Astoria gave a brief nod, "Earl Grey? Please?" She requested, watching Draco give a brief nod before leaving the store. That was when she let out a sigh of relief, glad to finally feel like she could relax. She took her time looking around the shop, admiring the old dishes and silver tea sets, the wood furniture managing to look both old and in good shape. While she knew she could probably buy the whole store she didn't, not too fond of an eclectic mix of things in a house. No, Astoria preferred things to match since it looked much more regal than an assortment of things. With a brief nod to the shopkeeper she left the shop, almost running into Draco.

"Oh, sorry it took so long. It's that time of the afternoon I suppose." Draco said with a shrug before handing Astoria her cup of tea. She slowly inhaled the scent of the tea, letting it calm her. It was such a familiar scent that even in the most stressful situations it always managed to put a sense of calm within her. But she remained silent until she took a sip, letting the warmth almost float down her throat before clearing her throat to speak.

"It's fine. Thanks for the tea." Astoria said softly, not needing an explanation for long lines at the café. It would never fail that the longest lines in small square of shops would be the café, ,regardless of the time of year.

Draco nodded before taking a sip of tea himself. "Did you see anything in there worth buying?" He asked, gesturing towards the shop Astoria had just left. She shook her head.

"No. Nothing matched, and I'm sure we were probably given dishes as a gift so there's no reason to buy that." Astoria said with a shrug before walking around Draco and towards the next shop, seeing it was a higher end clothing store. A small smile came upon her face as Draco groaned, obviously knowing where she was heading. "I told you that you could shop someplace else while I shopped." Astoria said with a small shrug, opening the door to the shop and walking in confidently.

Almost immediately one of the store clerks swept up to her, and once she realized who she was led her towards the back to a private dressing room, shooing Draco away. Astoria couldn't help but smirk at that scene, seeing him slightly shake his head before walking out of the shop. The next hour was spent trying on clothes, racks after racks being wheeled in and out. Apparently word of the Malfoy and Greengrass wedding had reached Italy, and they were more than willing to provide clothes for the newlywed wife. It still amazed her how their families seemed to be famous in both the Wizarding and the Muggle world. No matter where she went she was likely to be recognized, which could prove to be both a good thing and a bad thing.

Astoria didn't comment upon that though, instead simply smiling and nodding at the appropriate times. However she did decline looking at a rack of maternity clothing, ensuring them that when that time came she would return. Maternity clothing was still too far in the future for her mind to want to consider at that moment. Everything else though she was more than willing to look at; new gowns for dinners, new dress clothes for work, new clothes to wear out, new shoes to match everything, as well as new accessories to match too. The store clerk was even able to talk Astoria into a few lingerie items though she didn't feel the need to buy more than two of those items.

When her items were bagged up, the bill sent to the beach house, Astoria emerged from the store, seeing Draco sitting upon a bench beside the fountain. She walked over to him, thankful she had finished her tea by that time since her hands were too full to carry it. When she set the bags down in front of him he let out a laugh.

"Did you buy the whole store?" He asked between his laughter.

Astoria gave him a small glare before smirking, "Not quite. Only the things I liked." That just caused Draco to let out a sigh. She watched him pull out his wand, Astoria glancing around as Draco gave it a sweep over the items to send them back to the beach house. When she looked back at Draco she noticed he had stood up and pocketed his wand. "I sent the bill to the beach house too since I didn't quite have enough money on me." This just caused Draco to slightly shake his head again, though the smirk on his face told Astoria he didn't mind.

"Well since you've spent the past hour and a half in that shop I think we should do something I enjoy now." Draco reasoned, Astoria following his eyes to the shop on the other corner. She gave a small shrug, not protesting that as she walked beside him across the square and into the shop, the smell of salt water being the first thing she noticed. As she looked around though she noticed the place was full of the things you always saw at shops beside the beach; sea shells and sand dollars, star fish on netting and sponges in baskets. There was even some fresh tropical flowers sat up in the corner, their light aroma mixing pleasantly with the smell of salt water.

Astoria took her time looking around the shop, Draco seeming to enjoy the shop more than she was. She would glance at him every few now and then, nothing capturing her attention enough for her to stop and look. Finally she did stop to look at a basket of sea glass though, and soon had a small bag full that Draco paid willingly for. As they walked out of the shop she tucked the bag into her clutch, glancing at him with a slightly curious look upon her face. "Was there a reason you wanted to go in there? You didn't even buy anything. Not for yourself at least." Astoria asked, glancing at him in time to see him shrug as they walked towards the next shop.

"It's always nice to enjoy the simple things. The fact that such simply things still exist is a miracle, so I don't plan on overlooking them again." Draco said softly, not able to meet Astoria's eyes as he spoke. His statement caused Astoria to arch an eyebrow before quickly looking away. While his words were definitely true she hadn't expected to hear him say it. As she shopped the rest of the day in the variety of shops left in the square her mind couldn't seem to push his words from her mind, something about the tone of them causing it to echo in her mind.


	17. Chapter 17

Astoria tried not to be too hopeful that their dinner that evening would be uneventful. A dinner at a local Italian restaurant was perfectly fine with her, until the waiter recognized who they were and placed them in a room alone. She could even deal with that until the owner of the restaurant came to serve them their finest bottle of wine and give them their meal for free as congratulations on their marriage. Astoria smiled through that as Draco spoke for them, trying to tell herself that's how it would be now; Draco would be speaking for her as well. The scowl managed to stay off of her face until the owner had walked away and the waiter had delivered their meal.

She picked at her salad as Draco ate his spaghetti. How he could eat such a large meal at a time like that was something she couldn't answer. Astoria was lucky to have finished half of her salad, anything more than that was just more than she could handle. Instead she sipped at her wine, well aware that wine on such an empty stomach was likely not a wise idea. From what she observed though Draco drank just as much wine as she did, though he had of course eaten more than she had. Her silence remained though as he finished his food and thanked the owner once again, Astoria standing up and picking up her clutch, a little unsteadily making her way towards the exit.

Once they reached the street she shrugged Draco's hand off her back, stumbling a few unsteady steps away from Draco. He didn't say anything though as they continued to walk down the street towards the beach home, Astoria focusing upon each step instead of the dinner they just had. Sure, their day shopping had been fine, even their selection of a restaurant had been pretty easy. But it wasn't easy for her to simply go along with what Draco was saying without saying anything. She knew it was the proper place of a Pureblood wife, to know when to stay silent or when to speak, which was the only reason why she hadn't said anything before then.

After what felt like forever she stumbled through the front door of the beach house, making her way over to the couch and falling down upon it. Her eyes watched as Draco closed the door and walked a little more steadily than her towards the chair, sitting down before looking at her.

"I hope dinner was enjoyable." Draco said, obviously trying to test the waters.

Astoria snorted, "Oh yes, it's so enjoyable to watch you speak for 'us' as if I wasn't there."

Draco didn't let any emotion cross his face as he replied, "I didn't speak as if you weren't there. I simply said what was expected from me."

"Expected from you? So you think you're expected to speak for the both of us? As if I don't have anything to say?" Astoria popped off.

A sigh came from Draco then, "I never said that."

"You didn't have to. We all know the Pureblood expectation plays a stronger role in our lives than we want to admit." Astoria was standing by that point, somehow managing to stay standing though she wasn't completely sure how. She heard Draco speak but didn't catch was he said, the moment of nausea rolling through her stomach enough to distract her.

Without another word she ran towards the bathroom at the bottom of the stairs, not able to shut the door behind her before she was heaving over the toilet. Astoria cursed between heaves. Cursing her current situation, cursing the wine from dinner, cursing Draco for allowing her to drink so much. Eventually the heaving stopped, Astoria's stomach empty, it was then she realized someone was holding her hair back. Slowly she wiped her mouth, before reaching up and flushing the toilet. It was then that she turned to see Draco, taking a step back away from her and towards the doorway. She didn't speak as she leaned against the wall beside the toilet, looking up at Draco.

He cleared his throat, "Sorry. I didn't think you would want your hair in the way." He said as a bit of red tinted his cheeks.

Astoria cleared her throat, "I would've preferred you didn't see any of that."

Draco smirked at her comment, "I knew it was inevitable considering how little you ate and how much you drank."

She narrowed her eyes at that comment but didn't say anything, knowing he was more right about that than she was willing to admit. Instead she moved to sit upon her knees, reaching up to grab the sink to help her slowly stand up. Once she was standing she washed her face off, drying it before turning to see that Draco had left.

With a sigh she left the room, walking past the stairs to see Draco digging through the cabinets. Astoria just stood there and watched as he seemed to search for something, before eventually pulling a bottle out and turning towards her. "Here." She heard his say, walking towards her to hand her the bottle. "It should help you sleep, and prevent any further issues." Slowly Astoria reached up and grabbed the bottle, knowing again that she would regret it if she didn't take it.

"Thanks." Astoria replied in almost a whisper. Draco didn't reply though, instead simply walking with her as she turned to climb the stairs. She didn't shrug away his help that time, afraid that if she did she would fall down the stairs. After a slow climb they reached the top of the stairs, Draco opening the door before letting Astoria walk into the room.

"Now, go shower. I'm not going to leave until you're safely in this bed. The last thing I need is for you to fall in the shower or something." Draco said, leading Astoria over towards her bathroom. She didn't protest, still not in a right enough mind to put up a good fight. Instead she simply did what he said, letting him close the bathroom door behind her before she walked over and turned the shower on.

Astoria took a much longer shower than she normally did, still not feeling clean from not only her scene in the bathroom downstairs but from the previous night as well. When the water ran cold though she gave up, turning it off before reaching for a towel. It wasn't until she was dry that she realized all her clothes were in the other room, where Draco was currently waiting for her. As she weighed her options she didn't like any of them, finally deciding to wrap a towel around her before opening her door, spotting Draco sitting in a chair by the door.

She avoided his eyes as she walked over to the closet. "Sorry, I forgot to grab clothes." Astoria said briefly, hiding the blush that was creeping to her face. There was no reason for her to blush, not after the previous night, but it was still an uncomfortable thing for her to think about. Draco didn't speak though as Astoria pulled out a night gown, not bothering with underwear since she was still a tad sore. When she returned to the bathroom she quickly changed before brushing her hair out and leaving it to air dry.

Satisfied she couldn't delay any longer she walked back into her room seeing that Draco had placed a glass of water and her potion on her nightstand. Astoria knew she should thank him, but that wasn't something she was good at. It would be especially hard for her to try and state why she was thankful. After a moment though she glanced at him, "Thank you." She said, not quite meeting his eye.

"No problem." Draco replied softly, before continuing, "Now, your potion is here as well as a glass of water. The potion won't put you to sleep but it should make it easier for you to fall asleep."

Astoria simply nodded, walking over to the other side of the bed where Draco was standing, where he had placed the potion and water. When she was in reach of Draco she felt his hand move to her waist, obviously making sure she was still steady on her feet. She felt the heat rush to her face at the contact, the subtle touch seeming much more intimate now that she was in a night gown. Astoria remained silent though as she sat down in bed, carefully leaning against the pillows and covering her legs up.

Draco hovered by the end of the bed, seeming not sure what to do. Astoria let out a slow sigh, "You can sit down." She said softly, gesturing at the end of the bed. Slowly she watched as he sat down, shifting so that he was sitting sideways and facing her.

"Are you better now?" He finally asked.

Astoria nodded, "A bit. A shower does wonders." She smirked as he did.

"That's certainly true." Draco said with a sigh, before continuing, "Now, about what we were talking about earlier…"

"No, just forget about it." Astoria said, cutting his sentence off. "I know how things are, it was how I was raised, how the household I grew up in functioned. It's just not as easy as my mother had made it seem."

Draco didn't immediately say anything, seeming to mull over his words before speaking. "Well just because that's how things have always been doesn't mean it has to be that way between us."

Astoria almost couldn't believe his words, her mouth parting slightly as she looked at him. "You don't realize what you're saying Draco. We can't just change tradition."

Draco smirked at that, "Tradition? Look at how far my families' traditions have gotten me. I think traditions can always stand to be modified." She didn't know what to say to that, remaining silent as he spoke again. "We could start by modifying the arranged marriage tradition. Who says those in an arranged marriage can't get along?"

Astoria smirked at that, "It's not that." She quietly said, though she didn't elaborate.

He let out a sigh, "Well that's good to know. I was wondering whether I should prepare a room in the house for just myself at this rate." Draco smirked, keeping his eyes on Astoria to weigh her reaction.

She simply let out a sigh, "No, you don't have to prepare another room for yourself. But you can't expect me to just accept everything either."

"I would never expect you to just accept everything. You wouldn't be a Greengrass if you did." Draco said softly, before standing up with a sigh. "Good night Astoria, if you need anything please don't feel like you can't ask." He added before walking towards the door, gently closing it behind him. Astoria's eyes remained upon the closed door for quite some time, knowing she needed to get some sleep but not sure whether she could with the conversation they just had.

Astoria didn't want to move the next morning. She didn't think she could convince herself to turn over, let alone actually get out of the bed. When she heard footsteps though she realized that must've been what woke her up. As her mind unwillingly pulled itself out of its peaceful slumber she listened as the footsteps stopped. At that moment though a familiar smell wafted its way towards her nose, the smell being enough for her to crack open her eyes.

She was facing towards the bathroom door, managing to take up the whole bed by herself. As she laid there she realized her right leg was outside the covers, instead laying on top of the covers, spread across the bed. At that realization she remembered she was only wearing a nightgown, Astoria quickly moving to turn over and pull her leg back under the covers, pulling the covers even further up to her chin. Once she was sure everything was covered she glanced across the room, surprised to see Draco standing beside the bedroom door.

Slowly she let out a sigh, bringing a hand out from under the covers to run it through her tangled hair. "Do we have plans today that I forgot about?" She asked, that being the only thing she could think of that would cause Draco to be there before she had waked up.

Draco cleared his throat, "No, we hadn't made plans for today. I just knew once you woke up you would probably be hungry, so I brought up a plate of eggs, along with a potion just in case you have a hangover."

At Draco's words Astoria turned her head to look at her nightstand, surprised to see a tray with a covered dish upon it. Before he could move to do anything with it though Draco moved from his spot by the door, walking beside the bed and towards the tray he had apparently just placed upon the nightstand. With what looked like a practiced move he spread out a napkin upon Astoria's lap before placing the tray on top of it, lifting the lid to reveal the still warm food.

Looking down at the plate she saw an assortment of food, scrambled eggs and toast only a few things upon it. "Oh Draco, I can't eat all of this. This is way too much." Astoria said softly, avoiding Draco's gaze. To her surprise though a small chuckle came from Draco before he spoke.

"Well just eat what you can and I will eat the rest. Trust me; the food won't go to waste." He said, Astoria glancing up to see a small smirk upon his face still.

A ghost of a smile flitted across her face before she picked up the fork, tentatively taking a bite of the eggs. She knew then she was hungrier than she would admit, the food tasting amazing at that moment. But her upbringing took over, Astoria knowing she probably wouldn't even eat a quarter of what was on the plate. After she took another bite she realized Draco was still standing there, an uncertain look upon his face.

"It tastes fine Draco, you don't need to stand there. Like I told you last night, you can sit down." Astoria said before taking a sip of the glass of water.

A smirk came to Draco's face at Astoria's words, Astoria watching as he took a few steps towards the end of the bed and sitting down. "Did you sleep well?" Draco finally asked.

"As fine as I could I suppose." Astoria replied before taking another bite. "What time is it anyway?" She asked, having not bothered to look at the time yet.

Draco glanced down at his watch, "It's just after noon. I probably could've brought you lunch but I figured you may prefer breakfast after just waking up." He replied.

Astoria paused in her eating, slightly surprised that she had slept her morning away. She hadn't slept her morning away since she was in Hogwarts, during breaks back home when she was catching up on the sleep. "Well, I suppose I needed the sleep." Astoria said with a sigh, causing Draco to chuckle as she took another bite of her food. Like she had predicted she only ate around a quarter of the food, a half a slice of toast and a few more bites of eggs later she was looking back at Draco. "Here you go, I told you I wouldn't eat it all."

Draco simply shook his head, "You hardly ate any of it! That's not healthy Astoria."

"Oh Draco you're the last person to lecture me about what is healthy and what isn't." Astoria replied, arching an eyebrow as if daring him to object. He didn't though, instead remaining silent as he moved to lift the tray from her lap. When he lifted it she pulled her legs up towards her, giving Draco space to set the tray upon the bed. When Draco still remained silent Astoria furrowed her eyebrows. Had she said something wrong?

Just as she thought that though Draco spoke, "Well as my mother always said, 'Do as I say, not as I do'."

Astoria blinked at Draco a few times before letting out a giggle. "Oh, is that the old Malfoy wisdom I'm hearing?" She managed to ask, before her giggling continued. Before she could get her giggling under control she saw the look on Draco's face, his mouth slightly parted, an eyebrow arched. That look managed to make her laugh even harder. After a minute though she took a few deep breaths, able to calm her laughter down. She wasn't completely sure why she found that so funny, but something about the irony of the statement made her laugh.

"I'm sorry. I usually don't laugh like that." Astoria finally said with a small sigh, a smirk still upon her face.

Draco simply shook his head, "Don't apologize. It's nice to hear you laugh." He said softly, as if that was a good enough reason to excuse her laughter. Astoria remained silent, not completely sure what to say in response to his statement. When she didn't speak though Draco did, "Well, I'm going to finish this food since it would be a waste not to. Do you want to head to the beach today? Or did you have something else in mind?" He asked, taking a bite of the food.

Astoria blinked, "The beach sounds fine. I can't think of anything else to do. Plus it's a private stretch of beach, so we will have it to ourselves." She replied with a nod, focusing upon Draco.

"Good, sounds like a plan." Draco said, standing up before picking up the tray, "I will just take this downstairs and finish eating it so you can get dressed. I'm sure it will probably take you a lot longer to get ready than me." He said with a smirk, Astoria returning the smirk.

"You're right so I would appreciate the privacy." She replied, Draco simply nodding before turning and walking out the door, leaving Astoria to get ready for a day at the beach, her mind already wandering towards which swim suit she would wear for the day.

* * *

(( AN: I first want to say thank you to those of you who have left me a review! It brings a smile to my face to read the encouraging words to keep writing! After this chapter I believe have three chapters left, so be prepared for what is sure to end up a cliff-hanger. Whether I continue the story will depend on the reviews and whether anyone wants me to continue it or not. But thank you for the reviews that's been left, and feel free to leave more if you want to. ))


	18. Chapter 18

About an hour had passed since Draco had woken Astoria up. She was now dressed in a dark blue bikini, carrying a large bag with a few towels and some water bottles stuffed in it. Her sunglasses were perched on her nose as they walked across the warm sand towards the water, the only sound being the waves crashing against the beach and the seagulls in the distance. When they reached a safe distance away from the water Astoria set her bag down before pulling out a large towel and spreading in on top of the sand, letting out a sigh as she sat down. She crossed her legs before leaning back against her hands, her eyes glancing out over the smooth water as it reflected the clear blue sky. If she looked close enough she would probably see a dolphin or two along the surface or at the very least a sea gull skimming the water to catch a fish. But she didn't look too closely for that, instead reaching to pull a bottle of water out of her bag.

As Draco sat down on the towel beside her she managed not to glance at him. The towel was certainly big enough for both of them, and she knew there was no reason they couldn't share the towel. That's what Astoria kept telling herself, resisting the urge to inch away from him just to keep her own space. Instead she lay back against the towel, closing her eyes against the sun while leaving her sunglasses on. Perhaps a day in the sun is what she needed. Perhaps it would calm her thoughts and make her relax, sooth her nerves and ease the tension. Even as she hoped that she doubted it would actually happen. Things usually didn't work out that easily for her regardless if the opportunity was perfect for it.

To her surprise though the afternoon passed rather effortlessly, Astoria managing to get in a small nap between bits of small, effortless chatter with Draco. Soon the sun was setting, Astoria propping herself back up on her arms to watch the sun hit the ocean, almost able to hear the sun sizzle as it sank below the ocean surface. It wasn't often she was able to spend a quiet afternoon on the beach, so it was a successful afternoon in Astoria's mind. Too soon the sun sank completely below the horizon, leaving only a faint glowing behind as the stars started to shine in the night sky. Draco was the first to stand up, stretching a bit before offering a hand to help Astoria up. Without thinking she took it, slowly standing up with a sigh before bending down and pulling the towel off the sand, shaking it a bit before draping it over her arm and picking up her bag.

They slowly made their way up to the beach house, Astoria feeling a bit tired from spending the day in the sun; a day in the sun always made her a bit lethargic. But as they walked into the cool home she heard her stomach growl, realizing then she hadn't ate since her breakfast for lunch about seven hours earlier. Draco chuckled at the sound as Astoria set down the bag and towel just inside the door. Looking at his she arched an eyebrow at his smirk, before softly smiling at his next words.

"Do you want to go down to the square for dinner? Or just fix something here?" Draco asked, leaving the option up to Astoria.

She debated for a moment, both not wanting to go anywhere but not wanting to cook either. After a moment she came up with a solution. "Why don't you send a letter to the restaurant and see if they'll deliver a pizza? I think I could go for a freshly baked pizza right about now." Astoria suggested with a small smile, earning a smirk from Draco.

"That sounds good to me." Draco said with a nod before turning to head towards the office off the living room.

Astoria slowly made her way towards the stairs and up to her room, intending on changing out of the bikini. She pulled out a pair of sweat pants and a tank top before walking into the bathroom. Quickly she washed her face off before changing clothes, leaving her bikini in the shower. Walking into the bedroom again she picked her wand up off the nightstand before leaving her room and heading back down the stairs, spotting Draco in the kitchen in a pair of jeans just before he spoke.

"Do you want wine? Or something else to drink?" Draco asked, having heard Astoria's footsteps upon the floor.

"No, no wine." Astoria replied, hearing Draco chuckle.

"Then how about strawberry lemonade?" He suggested, glancing over at Astoria as he waited for her to answer.

She gave a small nod, "That sounds fine." Astoria replied before walking over to the couch, sitting down with a sigh before pulling her feet up beneath her. "Are they going to deliver a pizza?" She asked.

Draco nodded as he pulled a pitcher of strawberry lemonade out of the fridge, setting it upon a tray before pulling out two glasses. "Yes they are. It probably won't take too long." Draco answered just as someone knocked upon the door. "Speaking of, that's probably the pizza." He flicked his wand, sending the tray levitating over to the coffee table, before walking towards the front door to get the pizza.

Astoria heard soft voices drifting from the front door, but she didn't move as she watched the tray land softly on the table in front of her. She moved to pour herself a glass as she heard the front door close and footsteps walk across the room, the smell of tomato and bread making her mouth water. Draco set the pizza on the coffee table next to the tray, flicking his wand as a couple plates floated from the kitchen over towards them. Astoria took a sip from her glass as Draco sat down with a sigh, picking a plate up and putting a large slice of tomato and mozzarella pizza upon the plate. After he took a bite he let out a sigh of contentment.

"Good idea Astoria. The pizza tastes amazing." Draco said before taking another bite.

She leaned forward then to get a piece for herself, taking a bite to find it was indeed delicious. The right combination of fresh bread, tomatoes and mozzarella tasted like heaven in her mouth. After swallowing she took a sip of the strawberry lemonade. "I'm glad you like it. I just didn't want to think of something to cook." Astoria admitted with a small laugh, causing Draco to chuckle.

"Well I could've come up with something for dinner, but I do believe this was the smarter route. Beyond basic food I'm really not the best cook." He gave a small shrug, seeming to not be ashamed at admitting he couldn't cook.

Astoria slightly shook her head. "No surprise there. I've learned most guys can't cook." She said with a laugh, adding in her mind that it was mostly Pureblooded men who couldn't cook.

"I can cook enough to survive." Draco responded defensively in a tone Astoria recognized from her years at Hogwarts.

"And I guess that's what counts." Astoria retorted with a laugh. Draco just shook his head, knowing she had a point but that it wasn't the point he had apparently been trying to make. They continued to eat in silence, Draco soon taking a second piece while Astoria finished her first. She had just started her second piece when Draco spoke, having finished his second piece already.

"Astoria, I wanted to talk you, about what my mother said that night." Astoria felt her mouth go dry at his words, carefully putting the plate down upon the coffee table as he continued to speak. "It's not that I was keeping anything from you."

"No, you just didn't trust me enough to tell me." Astoria snapped back, not looking at Draco, instead looking at her plate on the table.

"This has nothing to do with trust." Draco responded before Astoria spoke again.

"Yes it does. I thought I knew about your past, about what happened during the war and after the war. But I didn't know everything did I? Because you couldn't trust me enough to tell me everything!" Astoria exclaimed, finally looking at Draco to see his mouth slightly parted.

"That's because it wasn't important in my mind. It was something I had to do even if I was ashamed to do it. The last thing I wanted to do was bring up another part of my past I was ashamed about." Draco tried to explain, running a hand through his hair. "It's not a matter of whether I trust you enough to tell you. I simply wanted to forget about a small part of my past because it doesn't matter." He paused, running a hand through his hair before shifting forward and grabbing Astoria's hand off her lap. "I do trust you Astoria. You showed that you trusted me that night after the party, which is more than anyone else has shown. Oh yes, everyone understands, but do they trust me? I doubt it, and after everything I have done I don't blame them. But I trust you because you trust me. Does that make sense?"

Astoria sat there for a moment, her eyes looking into his grey ones. Does that make sense? In a way it does. Astoria did indeed show him trust that evening, apparently something no one else had done. But could that really be enough to earn his trust? Astoria wasn't sure.

"It makes some sense, but that still doesn't explain why you didn't tell me. Ok, so it wasn't because you don't trust me. So why didn't you tell me? I believe that's something I should know. What if someone else who knows was to come up to me and bring it up somehow? Then I would look horrible because I wouldn't know." Astoria asked, forcing herself to remain calm so she could logically debate this.

Draco seemed to consider her words for a moment before answering. "There's not anyone that knows. My mother, the Healers, and now you and your family. No one would know to come up and talk about it with you. I just didn't want to think about it Astoria. I'm confronted every day with reminders about my past, both physically and mentally, so why shouldn't I want to forget about a small part of it?" Draco asked, turning the question towards Astoria, causing her to let out a slow sigh.

"I understand you wanting to forget about it. I don't blame you for wanting to forget about it. I think everyone wants to forget about it honestly. But I still think you should've told me." Astoria said softly, looking down as Draco squeezed her hand.

"And I probably should've told you. Especially before my Mother brought it up. I just hadn't wanted to bring it up. Then after that the weeks just seemed to fly by and there never seemed to be an opportunity to explain." Draco said with a small shake of his head, Astoria feeling a blush creep to her face at the mention of the past few weeks. It was definitely partially her fault that he hadn't had a change to explain before then because Astoria had done her best to avoid him until she couldn't anymore. "This probably isn't the best time to explain either but I felt I should try and explain."

Astoria shook her head, "No, it's fine. I understand you not wanting to talk about it, and I understand you wanting to forget it. But you're right, you probably should've told me before your Mother did." She said with a smirk, looking up to see a smirk on Draco's face.

"Well I'm going to savor this moment. I hardly ever hear anymore that I'm right even though I know I always am." Draco said with a small chuckle and a trademark Malfoy smirk, giving Astoria's hand one last squeeze before pulling away and pouring himself a glass of strawberry lemonade.

Astoria reached for her plate, wanting to at least finish the piece she had started so it wouldn't go to waste even though she wasn't quite hungry anymore. Something about serious conversations seemed to diminish her appetite. As she finished her second piece Draco grabbed his third, the two of them in a comfortable silence for the time being. When she set her plate down she knew she had ate too much, Astoria letting out a sigh before leaning back into the couch.

"That was certainly a good pizza. We'll have to have that again before we leave." Astoria said with a small smile, glancing at Draco to see him nodding in agreement.

"Yes, we definitely will. This may be the best pizza I've ever had." Draco responded, finishing off his third piece before draining his glass. He leaned back, propping a foot up on the coffee table before he flicked his wand to send the rest of the pizza to the kitchen and into the fridge. "Perhaps next time we can have it at the restaurant though. I'm sure they'll have a perfect wine to pair with it." He added with a small nod, glancing at Astoria.

"We could probably manage that." Astoria agreed with a small smile. They had numerous days left there after all, so she was sure it would be possible to eat there one night. Glancing around towards the clock she saw it was almost ten, but Astoria wasn't tired yet since she had slept so late that day. She just wasn't sure what to do now, Draco thankfully breaking the silence with a suggestion.

"Do you want some ice cream?" Draco asked as he stood up and started walking towards the kitchen.

The question was enough to make Astoria laugh. "Sure, ice cream sounds good." She answered with a smile from her laugh still on her face. Never would she have thought she would be having ice cream with Draco Malfoy. If someone had told her that back when she was at Hogwarts she likely would've cursed them through the dungeon wall because it was so absurd. But at that moment she wasn't sure whether she would change it even if she could, the thought that she couldn't weighing on her chest at that moment. She pushed it away though as Draco walked back to the couch with a carton of ice cream and two spoons in hand, the thought of a night full of chocolate ice cream bringing a smile to her face once again.


End file.
